Tales of a Monster Hunter
by phoenixorderv3
Summary: In a world full of monsters, follow the tales of hunters wandering the vast lands, some in search of the hunt and others for fame and glory. This is the tale of a Monster Hunter! Updated after a long break, will work on more chapters.
1. Hunter in Ruin

**Hunter in Ruin**

I woke up to another day in the outlands. I've been stationed here for quite some time, when I think about it I'm not sure exactly how long I've been here. I was sent here with three other hunters to keep the creatures at bay. We thought this was going to be easy, but were severely mistaken.

I lost one hunter to a Vexid, a nasty little creature that likes to dig a hole then cover it up like the pitfall traps we use. Only difference is instead of waiting on the outside for a creature to fall in, they like to wait inside the trap which gives you no time to rescue someone once they fall in. You hear them screaming on the way down, but the screaming stops without them ever hitting the bottom.

The second we lost to a pack of Ioprey that wandered into the area. He got bitten on the arm trying to fend them off and got a huge dose of poison we couldn't treat.

The third one I just lost to an Akantor. The two of us were trying to hunt some food when this tremendous roar split the air. I looked back to see if he was alright, but when I turned and looked at him half of his body was all, mush like he didn't have any bones left and the rest was all sliced up.

I dove behind some boulders, I didn't want to face an Akantor. Just the thought of what just his roar could do to you... I just couldn't muster the courage after what I saw what it did to a hunter wearing full Hi-Metal armor. I heard the grotesque sound of my fellow hunter being gnawed on and a sick slurp as he was swallowed. I barely even breathed for a while hoping just to hide from the monster and wait for it to chase something else down.

After a good five minutes I heard the beast's heavy foot steps close by the rock face. I held my breath and didn't move a muscle. I felt like I was going to throw up. The fear of dying in a thunderous roar of blades and heat churned my stomach. The footsteps got lighter and farther away after a few minutes, but I didn't want to move and risk it noticing me.

I've been here for about two days now. I killed a Apcynoth that wandered close to my hiding place and have been living off the carcass for a few days now. I'm pretty sure the path to our camp is clear by now. At the very least the Akantor should have moved on...

But where are my manners! My name is Phoenix. A hunter from the Guild stationed here to keep the monster population down, but I already told you that. I was originally a hunter in the village of Kokoto for the first year of my career, but after I defended myself from a Rathalos in the forest and hills region when I wasn't licensed, or prepared, to fight one the guild thought I was some sort of prodigy or something and decided to throw me into the real grit of this world.

I like to have a Heavy Bowgun with a few high power rounds along with a Sword and Shield. Most people think one weapon is enough, but I like to have a bit of the arsenal on me just in case. My sword is a bit bigger than most of the other ones I have seen and I usually prefer to land a good shot with my bowgun before charging into melee to finish a monster off. I guess that's why I've survived so long in this insane region. My armor is a getting to be a bit worn down after all the surprises I've run into, but it's a wonderfully made set of Rathalos gear reinforced with a nice load of Dragonite Ore I ran into a while back.

Enough about my past lets see if we can let you in on my future, assuming there is one. I'm going to try and head out a little before sunrise. Dawn here creeps me out mostly because of the bizarre colors the sky turns. This region always has a macabre green glow about it, and at sunrise it's in particularly noticeable. At first, I thought it was something poisonous, like the mists in the swamp region, but after living here for a while it just turned out to be the minerals in the ground. On top of the creepy green glow, most of the ground and the canyon walls are eerily beautiful shades of gray and black, like a Gravios spent all day blasting everything with it's lava breath. At dawn the entire region looks like something out of a nightmare.

I guess I'll try to get some sleep for now and when... if I wake up I'll try to get back to camp, get some supplies, and head back to the nearest Guild outpost to tell them what happened.

I woke to a sharp pain in my right leg, at first I thought it was something trying for a free snack, but then I remembered that during my teams little encounter with that pack of Ioprey one of them got a lucky claw or two into my thigh muscle. I was never able to take proper care of the wound, I suppose I'll have an ache there for a while.

Before standing up, I took a gander at the entrance of my lovely home in the rocks. I didn't see anything, but that didn't mean a Vexid hadn't realize somebody was here and decided to make a nice grave right outside my door. Well, no way to tell other than to lob a rock out there and see if anything moves.

I reached for my sword and hit the wall with the butt knocking loose some rubble to throw outside. I lobbed a chunk of it toward the door and got ready to stab anything that came at me.

I didn't hear any movement so I then latched my bowgun to my lower back, put my shield on my arm, picked up my sword, and stepped quietly to the entrance of the rock formation. I poked my head outside and looked at the nearby ground for recent tracks, I didn't see any.

I glanced up at the walls of the black canyon looking for any grumpy Remobra that might want to glide down and take a chunk of my body. Nothing moved, but I wasn't that confident it was clear. I thought to myself how I always has had this tingle at the back of my neck ever since I got here. It was like the whole region was on the brink of death and everything just wanted one last meal.

I mumbled to myself. "It's not safe near the walls of the canyon, something could crawl or leap down and take me out before I could react. It's best to stay low and move quickly along the middle of the canyon, at least I can see something coming and have a better chance of making out of here alive."

I jogged at a good pace for about three hours until I came across my teams camp. It seemed pretty untouched for being so open. The camp was mostly just a few tents made out of some heavy tanned hide. The food and weapons were stored at opposite ends of the camp in wooden crates, about fifty feet apart. The entire camp was about one hundred feet wide all formed in a circle around a big fire pit. It was up on a ridge of the canyon, only a mile or so away from the entrance to the region.

I slowly crept toward the food crate to get an actual meal, but when I got there and opened it up, it was empty. I looked towards the back and spotted a hole where some wildlife had chewed their way into to the crate. I guess I will have to wait until I can get back to the Guild outpost for a good meal.

I closed the food crate quietly and headed over to the weapons crate to get some whetstones to sharpen my now almost blunt blade and to restock my bowgun ammunition. Everything was undisturbed thankfully. Since they couldn't eat any of it the wildlife had left the crate alone.

I grabbed twenty high caliber shells and the last Cluster and Crag shells. These I normally don't carry because they had the ability to reduce a good sized monster to bite sized bits and I just don't feel very safe having them in my backpack. But I decided to take them just in case.

"Alright I gotta head out now. Don't wanna stay in one spot too long around here." As he closed the chest there was a loud bang as one of the shells in the weapons crate went off and grazed his shoulder armor. "I need to make a nice bullet proof case for these things."

He then headed north east toward the entrance of this region. He stopped about every quarter mile or so to take a drink of what little water he had left.

"Alright the entrance to this canyon should be about another three hundred yards to the east of here." Right as he said that he stopped in his tracks. He heard a faint whooshing sound behind him.

"That sounds like wings!" he shouted and dove to the side

Right as he did so a Gypceros flew right by him, it's talons scraping the ground where he once stood. As he hit the ground he rolled to the wall of the canyon.

Panting he said quietly. "Damn just my luck, I get this close and I have to run into one of these!"

Gypceros are normally a well built, almost fat, looking wyvern that have purple rubbery-like hide and a crystal on the front of its beaked head. They can slam the crystal into a crest on their beak to make a brilliant flash of light. But this region stresses everything that dwells in it and the Gypceros here are much more stream line and prefer to use diving tactics to kill their prey quickly.

He heard its wing making a faint sound like a breeze going down a small corridor. It passed over him screeching loudly in frustration. After the second pass he decided to make his move, he holstered his sword and drew his bowgun. He loaded a normal high caliber shell into the breach and cocked the weapon.

He ran as hard as he could straight into the open canyon. He heard the Gypceros coming down behind him. Skidding to a stop he spun around, right as he did so he fired off a shot.

There was a loud bang that was mildly deafening and a bullet came screaming out of the bowgun's barrel. The bullet was large anti-wyvren round and went straight for the chest of the Gypceros.

It tried to veer out of the way at the last second but wasn't quick enough to dodge it completely. The shell went right through the left wing's arm nearly took it clean off. The wyvern came screeching down and slammed into the canyon wall, rubble flying in every direction.

Phoenix knelt raising his shield to protect himself for the flying debris. Rocks slammed into his shield nearly knocking him down, but he was able to brace himself enough to avoid falling over. After the dust cleared he stood up, holstered his bowgun and drew his sword.

He slowly crept towards the wall which now had a good sized crater several yards up from the ground. He took deep breaths gathering his courage up while he approached the downed Gypceros. Once he was about 10 feet away from the beast and still heard no noise, he began to let his guard down a little. He got about five feet away from the beast when it lunged at him with its one good wing, slashing its claws like swords.

Phoenix took a defensive step back then deepened his resolve, he drew his sword back and thrust it into the Gypceros's throat all the way to the hilt. There was wheezing sound as it tried to take a breath through it's ruined throat and he twisted the sword sideways with the blade still in the creature's neck to finish it off. After a few moments the wyvern took it's last failing breath and died. He pulled his sword out and fell too the ground with relief.

'I was able to survive another attack like this.' He thought to himself. 'It was just like when the Rathalos attacked me.' He had sudden flashbacks to that day but shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He rested for a good ten minutes then took out his carving knife. He carved some materials off the carcass to take with him. He had a good one hundred pounds of materials he gathered from various creatures since he first came to this region, most of it would fetch a good price with the smiths at the guild. He set off to the guild camp... again.

Soon, he made it out of the canyons and saw grass for the first time in weeks. He wanted to lay down and relax in a soft patch of it, but decided to push onward. After about a full days worth of hiking without any incident he walked up a tall hill and across the plains he could see the Guild outpost.

He was overcome with joy at seeing human civilization again. As he marched across the plains he heard a familiar voice yell his name. He turned towards the sound and instantly recognized the source. It was a friend of his, Dragoon. A tall very well built man completely covered in a Azure Rathalos armor.

"Phoenix! I took you for a dead man." He said jogging over to him. Phoenix took off his heavy backpack and let it drop to the ground. Dragoon slowed to a walk and punched Phoenix on the shoulder. "I didn't think I was gonna see your sorry ass again. You look like you got beat down by a pack of rabid conga! What happened?"

"It's gonna take a long night at a tavern to tell you all of it, you're buying." Phoenix replied.

"The hell I am! You still owe me for the last one. You said you'd cover the last tavern we stayed at." Dragoon said in a stern manner.

"Oh yeah, I guess we'll just have to use some of the money I get from these materials I found." Phoenix said. "I'm not trading this one in, though, I'm gonna make me a nice cloak out of this baby." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a glowing white hide.

Dragoon stared in shock. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It sure is!" Phoenix says in a gloating tone. "It's the hide of a Kirin. I found a dead one in the canyons a week back, took me hours to skin it off."

"You lucky son of a bitch." Dragoon grumbled.

"Yeah, not like I could take one of those things out myself, but I figure since it's dead why let it go to waste."

"Lets get back to the guild... and put that thing away before I kill ya for it." Dragoon muttered in a sarcastic voice.

Phoenix put the hide away and threw his pack back on. "It's damn fine to be back and not so bad to see your ugly face again, Dragoon." They began walking back to the Guild outpost bragging back and forth about their recent adventures.


	2. The Return

Me and Dragoon reached the gate of the outpost. The guard asked us for our hunters card. The hunters card is paperwork that's kind of like a license and it's also marked with your current rank. Your rank is determined on your current skill level, like what sort of monsters you've hunted or can hunt.

"Please show me your Hunter's Card, Sir." the Guard said in a almost routinely manner.

Dragoon handed the Guard his card first. "Here ya go."

Phoenix took a quick glance to see if Dragoon made any progress with his skills since he last saw him. "Still hunter rank three I see."

"I'm so sorry that I'm not a prodigy like yourself" Dragoon said in a heavily sarcastic voice.

"You keep calling me a prodigy and I'll test your armor's durability with my sword" as Phoenix reached for his sword.

The guard leaped for his weapon "There's no fighting permitted inside this outpost!"

Phoenix held his hands up as if he was under arrest. "Sorry to freak you out it was just a joke."

The guard glared at Phoenix's face. "Actions like that are hardly a joke. The real joke is you hunter's"

Dragoon snarled and gave a glare as though he wanted to kill the guard. "Son, if a mature Azure Rathalos couldn't take me down, you think you got a chance with that pig sticker you call a lance. Be my guest!"

Phoenix pushed Dragoon on the shoulders away from the guard. "Now now Dragoon there's no need to make a mess of this outpost as well. You've already gotten us kicked out of the last one we stayed at."

"I can't help that I can't control you, Phoenix!" growled Dragoon.

"My fault, don't put me in the middle of this again, Dragoon!" yelled Phoenix as he poked Dragoon in the chest.

The guard stood up straight and set his lance back against his chair. "Be silent the both of you, hand me your card and lets put this behind us!"

"Fine then." Phoenix handed the guard his card.

"What's a rank four hunter doing at our outpost?!" The guard seemed to be less aggressive after learning Phoenix's rank.

Dragoon clinched his fists in anger. "Rank four! Since when?!"

"Since I took down a Rathalos and a Rathian for the Elder back in Kokoto."

"You got too much luck." mumbled Dragoon as he walked ahead of Phoenix through the gate and into the outpost.

"It's not all luck my friend!" Phoenix yelled to Dragoon as he grabbed his card from the guard and jogged to catch up to him.

"So what will you do now, Phoenix?"

"First, I want to drop some of these materials off at the blacksmith and register them to my collection. Then I suppose I'll head over to the tavern to order up a meal and something to calm my nerves"

"I'll meet ya there then in about two hours. I've got something to do first!" yelled Dragoon as he ran off.

Phoenix walked slowly to the blacksmiths shop thinking to himself. "I wonder how much I can get off this haul?" Right as he opened the door to the blacksmith's workshop a nervous looking person ran into him and bounced off his armor falling to the ground.

"You alright there?" Said Phoenix as he stretched out his arm to help the stranger to his feet.

"Y... yes. I was just stopping in to see if my new armor was done yet."

"Oh so your a hunter then?" Phoenix looked the man over. "You're a bit weak looking to be a hunter, what weapon do you use?"

"I... I like to use Dual Swords and a bow" The hunter seemed to be very nervous if not scared at the sight of Phoenix.

Phoenix removed his helm and tucked it under arm. "Sorry, if I scared you."

"I'm not scared!" He said trembling a little bit.

"Heh suite yourself then." Phoenix hauled the man to his feet. "Will you be busy later?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then meet me at the local tavern in a few hours and I'll buy you a drink." Phoenix grinned trying to look less menacing. "You must be pretty brave to run into combat with only weapons designed to kill and not to protect."

"I like to wound my prey with my bow before I charge in. I'm not that reckless!" said the hunter trying to dust himself off and compose himself.

Phoenix lightly punched the man on his shoulder. "Good hunting."

"Same to you sir." The hunter rubbed his shoulder trying to not show any pain.

"Bless me heart, it's Phoenix! I thought something might of gotten our hunter this time around. You look awful what happened to you?" Said the Blacksmith.

"You would not believe what happened on this trip Erald." Phoenix dropped his backpack onto the counter. The wood counter seemed to bend a little with the weight of the backpack. "I found a very rare item this time around." Gloating as he reached into his backpack for his Kirin hide.

"Doesn't bother me any, the rarer the stuff you bring in Phoenix means the more money I'll get for making something with it." He chuckled.

"Same old Erald, only about his money."

"It's not just about the money, it just so happens I make a lot doing work with you Phoenix!"

Phoenix pulled out the glowing hide. "I bet you know what this is then?" Phoenix handed the hide to Erald.

"I'd never thought I'd see one of these in my hands, the hide of a Kirin! How in the hells did you come across such a thing?!"

"I didn't kill one if that's what you're thinking! I found one dead in the canyons a week back."

"What are you going to do with such a fine material?"

"I trust you can make a fine cloak for me with that then?" As Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want such a material to be ruined by my hands! You should take it to one of the Elder smiths I don't...know how to treat such material!"

"You're telling me that in your 20 years as a smith you never treated Kirin hide?"

"Never! A creature such as this doesn't wander into our lands."

Phoenix looked disappointed. "Well I guess I'll just hand over the rest of these materials and seek out someone who can treat this hide."

"You want to sell all of this then?"

"Yes, I have no need for these. Although I do need this done as quickly as possible. I'm meeting Dragoon down at the tavern in a while and I'll be paying for most of the bill most likely."

"Alright give me 10 minutes and I'll get this all calculated out for you. Have a look around if you want!"

Phoenix walked over to the wall of weapons and armor Erald has on display. When he heard the door open. He looked over to see who it was. A woman walked into the blacksmiths shop. "Who do we have here?" Phoenix mumbled to himself and walked over to Erald.

"Who's this beauty that just walked in?" Phoenix whispered quietly to Erald.

"That's our new hunter, she's an interesting one. I hear shes quite good but has a feisty attitude."

"Really now. I guess I'll go say hello then." Phoenix walked away from the counter and Erald rolled his eyes.

Phoenix started to walk over to the woman trying to think of what to say. He started to look at her as he got closer and noticed she had brilliant red hair and was wearing some sort of Blagonga armor. But it seemed too light to be a melee armor. "Hello, I'm Phoenix and what might your name be?"

She looked at him with a bored expression on her face. "Do we have business together?"

"Not that I know of?"

"Then get lost, I have no interest in talking with you!" She walked out of the blacksmiths shop.

Phoenix walked back over to the counter. "Well...that wasn't very polite."

"I told ya she was feisty." Erald said in a winded tone. "I thought you might have been able to talk to her, but I guess she isn't affected by your 'suave'."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, most woman are all ga ga over your armor and your reputation as a hunter, but I guess it's different when the women is also a hunter."

"Oh shut up, Erald!"

Erald laughed quite loudly. "Your total comes to 120,368z."

"Not a bad haul! I guess I'll be heading over to the tavern now, talk to you later Erald."

"Until next time, Phoenix."

Phoenix headed over to the tavern. As he walked in he heard Dragoon yell his name. "Hey Phoenix over here!"

The tavern was quite packed with people. Some hunters, some civilians. The maids were running all over the place trying to fill out every order.

Phoenix walked over to where Dragoon reserved a table just for them. As he walked over to the table he walked past the woman he saw earlier, he just kept walking by her and didn't look at her. "Ugh turns out Erald can't make my cloak. He says he doesn't know how to treat Kirin hide."

"That's odd, I thought a man of his experience would."

"That's what I thought. Then he told me I would have to see one of the Elder smiths about my hide!" Phoenix waved over to a maid.

"Be with you in a minute!"

Right as Phoenix went to put his arm down the hunter from earlier came over. "Hey, mind if I join you?"

Dragoon snarled "Get lost kid!"

"Calm down Dragoon, I bumped into him at the blacksmith's shop and he fell down. I told him I'd buy him a drink to make up for it."

Dragoon snorted. "Fine by me as long as your paying and only for one drink though, then hes gotta go!"

"Fine fine, sit down. I didn't catch your name earlier" Phoenix looked at the man as he sat down.

"The names Orpheus."

"You been a hunter long?"

"Not for that long I'm still only rank 1. I'm having problems since I can't find anyone to go on a hunt with." Orpheus looked down at the table and began to look sad.

"Oh boy here we go!" moaned Dragoon. "Were hunters, were not suppose to get all sad!"

"Oh take it easy on the newbie." Phoenix replied quite quickly.

"Bah!"

"So Orpheus, what have hunted lately?" Phoenix said happily trying to change the topic.

"I was able to kill a Shogun Ceanataur a few days back. I was at the blacksmith's seeing if my equipment was done yet."

"Quite a feat there newbie!" Dragoon said as he reached over and punched him on the shoulder.

"Thanks!" He flinched rubbing his shoulder not yet used to the rough nature of Phoenix and Dragoon's favored punch.

"I was able to trap one side of it's legs in a pitfall and down it with a lucky shot with my bow through the eye."

"Must of been a nice shot then!" Patting Orpheus on the shoulder.

"Nah, it was just a lucky shot is all." Orpheus began to get embarrassed.

A maid walked up to them with a pad of paper and pen in hand. "So what will you gentlemen have tonight?"

Phoenix started the order first. "I'll have a Apcynoth Steak and a pint of mead."

Dragoon and Orpheus said at the same time. "Just a pint please." They looked at each other and Phoenix and the maid chuckled.

"Very well, sirs." The maid walked away.

Phoenix kept laughing and looked back. The woman from earlier was watching him but when he looked at her she quickly looked away. Phoenix just turned back around. "I won't be able to stay too late tonight. I have to head over to the guild office tomorrow."

"As diligent as ever." Dragoon chuckled.

Orpheus finished his drink. "I'm gonna head out guys."

"Alright, if I got time I'll help you with a hunt sometime." Phoenix replied.

"I might take you up on that offer, see you guys later!"

"I hope not." Dragoon snarled. "That woman over there keeps looking at you Phoenix. You hit on her and fail?" He laughed.

"I ran into her at the smith's earlier, all I said was hello and she walked off on me."

"I guess your charm doesn't work on everyone then!"

"I can't help it, I was just curious was all and she seemed to get all mad."

"Bah don't get us kicked out of the outpost for hitting on someones daughter again!"

"Oh shut it, Dragoon!" Phoenix chugged the last bit of his drink down. "I'm heading out."

"Alright talk to you tomorrow, Phoenix!" Dragoon tapped his drink into Phoenix's.

Phoenix stumbled to the Inn and booked a room for one night. As he headed up stairs he heard someone following him, he just kept walking and went into his room. He layed down onto the bed and began to fall asleep.

He heard the floorboard creak and looked over. Someone was trying to steal his Kirin hide. He jumped out of bed and jumped over and pinned both arms of the thief onto the wall with one hand.

"Who are you and why are you trying to steal from me?!" It was dark and he couldn't see who it was.

"Let go of me!"

"I'll let go of you as soon as you drop my hide!"

The thief dropped the hide to the floor. "There now will you let go of me?!"

Phoenix let him go and he dropped to the floor. "This belongs to me and it's quite rare."

"Why do you think I tried to steal it?!"

"You're pretty gutsy trying to steal from a hunter."

He remained silent.

"Fine if you don't want to talk to me I'll just take you to the constables office and let you talk to him!"

"No!" He quickly replied.

"You think your gonna get away with this sort of thing?"

"I didn't steal anything!"

"You tried to steal something, you think that isn't bad?!" Right as he finished his sentence a brilliant flash went off. He stumbled a bit then regained his sight. "He's gone!"

Phoenix locked his door and shut his window. He put the hide in his backpack but this time he kept it with him in his bed. He slept through the rest of the night.

Phoenix woke up mid-morning. "Ugh, damn thief's can't make an honest living!" He sat up in bed and cracked his neck. "I guess I'd better get down to the guild office and report what happened."

He stood up and walked over to put him armor back on. Phoenix is a short man only about five feet seven inches tall, long wavy dark brown hair and sky blue eyes.

Most people underestimate him until they see how agile he is in combat. His sword is about three feet long and four inches wide. It's made out of Malachite and treated claws from the Rathalos he killed.

His bowgun is quite large. Unlike his other equipment this bowgun is made purely out of a metal alloy. It has been modified to use very high caliber rounds. It has a breach loading chamber unlike many bowguns which have clips.

His shield and Armor are made of durable Rathalos scales, but are reinforced with Dragonite to be much sturdier than normal. His armor has short flesh-like fins on his back that point out and some on his tasset that point down to offer some extra protection and streamline his movements.

He often doesn't wear his helm in towns and just lets it hang off a strap over his shoulder. Since he is permitted to wear his weapons in town he does so.

He put on all of his gear and set out to the guild office. When he got there he was greeted by a disturbingly cheerful secretary. "Greetings, how may I help you hunter?" She said with a very wide smile on her face.

"I'm here to report my recent trip to the canyons." Phoenix handed his card to her.

"Oh, the Region Representative has been awaiting your return."

"Really?"

"Yes, he has gotten word that the other hunters you went with have died. He wants to hear what happened. Wait here while I speak to him." She stood up and walked into the next room.

She returned a few moments later. "Please go inside, he will see you now."

"Thank you." Phoenix walked into the room and the secretary shut the door behind him.

"Hello, Phoenix! I'm glad someone survived that trip."

"Yes, we all had close calls, but I was able to get out of them unlike the others."

"So tell me, what happened?"

Phoenix began to tell him about what happened. They talk for over three hours.

The Representative takes a long winded sigh. "Well, that was quite the adventure. I'm sorry you had to see that happen to your fellow hunters."

"It's part of the job. When you fight monsters you shouldn't expect to come out unscathed."

"I've never liked that side though, I don't like to lose such fine hunters. I'm very sorry that I had to send you on that trip. When I got the letter that requested that you be sent to supervise I thought we would lose our best hunter."

Phoenix chuckles. "There are many hunters better than I, Sir."

"I don't know about that, Phoenix. There aren't that many hunters that can take on two wyverns and live to tell the tale."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Now I've got another assignment for you."

"What is it, Sir?"

"Are you sure you want to take this so quickly?"

"That's my job sir, actually I should say it's my life sir. This sort of thing shouldn't be taken lightly."

"I know that, well it's up to you." The representative reaches inside a drawer and takes out some paperwork. "This will be your next assignment." He hands the paperwork over to Phoenix.

Phoenix reads it over for a minute. "I'm quite certain I can handle this, Sir."

"Good a little training won't hurt you I guess." The representative laughs.

"So who will I be supervising this time, Sir?"

The representative turns his chair towards the door. "You may come in now."

The door opens. "Hello, Sir, so who will be..."

"Orpheus?!" Phoenix stands up in amazement.

"Oh hello Phoenix, what are you doing here?" Orpheus says with honest curiosity.

"I guess I'm going to supervise your next hunt!" Phoenix extends his hand waiting for a handshake.

Orpheus shakes Phoenix's hand and they both turn towards the representative. "When do we head out sir?"

"We've had reports of a population increase of Basarios in the volcanic region."

"Great more dull terrain." Phoenix mumbles.

"What was that Phoenix?" The representative raises an eyebrow.

"Nothing, Sir! Just saying to myself how it's been a while since I've been to the volcanic region and how I'd be more than happy to hunt something there."

"Good good, well you two will pick a third member for this hunt just to be safe. Who do you have in mind Phoenix?"

"Well, I heard my old friend, Maccabeus, was in that territory. I might try and meet with him and see if he wants to join us."

"Very well, I'll send news to the local outpost, hopefully he's there. When will you head off?"

"If Orpheus's equipment is done we'll head out right away."

"Alright you two are dismissed."

Phoenix and Orpheus say at nearly the same time. "Yes, Sir!"

"So, Orpheus, shall we head over to the blacksmith's and see if your armor is done?"

"Sure thing, I've been waiting nearly a week for it!"

Phoenix and Orpheus head over to the blacksmith's when they run into Dragoon. "Hey buddy, what's the newbie with ya for?"

"I've been assigned to supervise his hunt for a Basarios."

Dragoon chuckles. "Ha! Stuck on newb duty again eh? That's the price you pay for being such a..."

"If you say prodigy I'm gonna punch you in the face" Phoenix raises an arm readying a punch.

"I was gonna say, such a great hunter ya putz!" Dragoon grabs Phoenix's hand and pulls it down. "You need another hunter?"

"Well the assignment calls for three hunters, but I'll go back and ask the representative to adjust the paperwork for me." Phoenix winks.

"Ah the mighty hunter pulling strings." Dragoon laughs.

"Yes, what of it? Anyway I'll get him to raise it to four hunters and we'll meet up with Maccabeus."

Dragoon says loudly. "I haven't seen that him in a while, it'll be good to go on a hunt with him. See if his luck has improved at all!"

"Yea, he has always had some rotten luck, but also enough good luck to make it out. Which reminds me mind, can you see Orpheus to the blacksmith? His equipment should be done by now."

"Sure thing. Lets go, newbie." Dragoon grabs Orpheus by the shoulder and hauls him off.

"Hey, Erald!" Dragoon yells as he enters the shop.

"Oh hey, Dragoon, do I have an order for you?"

"Nah it's the newbie here."

"My names Orpheus! My order is that set made of Ceanataur materials."

"Ah yes, I just got done today!" Erald goes over to a manikin. "Here it is."

Dragoon looks impressed. "Looks damn good, but it looks a little sharp."

"Literally, it is." Erald takes a piece of paper and lets it fall onto the shoulder plate. The paper splits right in two.

Dragoon whistles. "Damn, that's sharp! Gotta be careful putting it on, eh?"

"Yes, very! It should give you adequate defenses and should go nicely with the Dual Swords I made."

"What about my bow?" Orpheus asks nervously.

"Ah yes, I ran out of Ceanataur materials so I had to use the parts that Phoenix brought in." He goes to the back room and brings out a bow that is a strange green wood. "I made a bow out of some Dragonwood. The sap from Dragonwood acts as a paralytic poison. Not as potent as Genprey venom but works just fine to slow the movement of your prey."

Orpheus gets a large smile on his face. "Sweet!"

"Sorry to break up this joyful scene, but let's get you geared up so we can meet Phoenix and see if all four of us can go."

"Yea, good idea." Orpheus takes his time putting on his armor. "Alright lets meet up with Phoenix!"

Dragoon and Orpheus meet Phoenix on their way out of the blacksmith's shop. "Hey nice, armor Orpheus!"

"Thanks Phoenix!" Stops to think. "So can we have four people on this trip?"

"Took some convincing but yes. We'll head out in a little bit after we get supplies. Meet at the gate in one hour and we'll head out." The party splits up and heads to the local shops for food and other supplies.

Roughly one hour later. "Alright so you guys ready?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Yep... Orpheus..." Dragoon chuckles. "He's not an officer, you don't need to call him Sir."

"Oh... right. Well, then let's head out, Phoenix."

Phoenix tries to stop laughing. "Alright lets head out for the Volcanic Outpost. We'll have to cross part of the desert. Hopefully we can do so without incident."

Dragoon cynically replies. "Yea, I hear their having a bit of a population problem with Diablos there." Dragoon let's out a diabolical laughter.


	3. Hidden Sands

**Hidden Sands**

Orpheus, Dragoon and Phoenix set out of the outpost and headed East. They had to cross the desert and head to the volcanic region in order to meet up with Maccabeus.

"How long are we going to have to travel before we reach the outpost were heading to?" said Orpheus in a surprisingly optimistic tone.

"Probably a good month on foot." Phoenix muttered.

"What's wrong newbie, never walked across an entire region before?" Dragoon chuckled.

"I traveled across the Jungles and the Forest and Hills regions to come to the Outlands."

"I bet that took a while." Phoenix muttered in a nervous tone.

"Not really, I was able to travel with a caravan that was delivering supplies to the Outlands outpost."

"That doesn't count you lazy bastard." Growled Dragoon.

"Sure it does." Uttered Orpheus.

"No it doesn't! I said did you ever 'walk' across a region, not travel by horse." Dragoon laughs quite loudly.

"Can you try and keep it down, Dragoon?"

"What's wrong? You don't seem to like the desert all that much." Dragoon

"I don't like the desert because almost everything thing that lives here attacks out of no where! Right out of the sand!"

"It's not as if they're going to declare themselves like it's a duel." Dragoon chuckled.

"Oh, just let me try to relax, Dragoon. Besides you don't need to go scaring Orpheus like that." Phoenix said nodding his head in the direction of Orpheus.

Dragoon looked back at Orpheus. "What's the matter..." Dragoon cut in mid sentence and yelled. "Orpheus! Phoenix stop!"

Phoenix instinctively drew his sword and shield and spun around. "What's the matter?!"

"Orpheus is gone!"

"I didn't even hear anything! Stay quiet and spread out." Phoenix said quietly shushing Dragoon.

They were in completely open desert sands not even a high dune in sight, no where to hide. Thats when the sand began to vibrate.

"You feel that?" Phoenix said talking just loud enough to be heard about 20 feet away from Dragoon.

"Yea, feels like Cephalos. I hate these bastards." Dragoon pulled his massive two handed sword off his back and prepared himself.

The ground began to shake violently and the sand started to cave inward very close to Dragoon.

"Oh hell!" Dragoon yelled diving away.

A Cephalos came leaping out of the sand arcing about 10 feet in the air. It dropped to the ground clumsily and fell on its stomach, not moving.

"What the?" Dragoon said lowering his weapon with a bewildered look on his face.

Phoenix ran over to the beast ready to stab it in a vital point when he hesitated and, laughing, yelled at Dragoon. "Come on over, seems this Cephalos was hungry!"

Dragoon holstered his weapon onto his back and jogged over.

"Look familiar?" Phoenix said poking a blade like object sticking out of the Cephalos' neck.

"Guys!? Is that you?!"

Dragoon laughed so hard he put his hand on his stomach. "How is it in there, newbie?!"

"Get me out of here guys!" Orpheus yelled from inside the Cephalos' throat.

"Sure thing." Phoenix took his sword and carefully stabbed the creatures neck and cut a long incision along it's esophagus.

Orpheus came tumbling out of it's neck covered in blood and slime. "That... was so not cool!"

Dragoon still laughing reached out his hand. "Want a lift up?"

"Thanks." Orpheus said trembling for a second.

"What're you doing?" Dragoon asked turning to Phoenix.

Phoenix was carving at the chest of the Cephalos. "I'm trying to get to the liver. It's a very good filter, we can use it to clean out water if we find a stagnant pool and nothing else."

"I don't know if I can trust anything to clean out stagnant water." Orpheus said in a questionable tone.

Dragoon smacked Orpheus upside the head. "It can filter sand while the thing is swimming through it. You think water is going to be a problem?"

"Oh. Didn't think about it that way." Muttered Orpheus laughing.

"Alright, I got it." Phoenix said holding the freshly cut liver in his hands.

"Euw, that's gross, man." Dragoon muttered in a disgusted tone.

Pointing Phoenix says. "Anyways, lets head north. There should be a cliff formation we can make camp in for tonight."

The light began to fade as the party walked north for a few hours.

"Here we are." Said Phoenix pointing at the cliffs in the distance.

"How is this place safe?" Orpheus asked.

Phoenix takes a deep breath. "Well, for starters, notice how there are some pretty large dunes around us now. The Cephalos have serious troubles going through them. There are also some very isolated parts of those cliffs where theres only one way in, so it makes it easy to hear something coming and get ourselves ready."

"Lets get moving I need to rest." Dragoon muttered.

"What's the matter, Dragoon? Getting too old for this work?" Phoenix laughs.

"Eh, shut the hell up!" He growls back.

Phoenix and Orpheus laugh. They made it to the cliff formation and begin to ascend to an old camp.

"Let's take it easy guys, I haven't been here in a long time. Never know when some Genprey might set up a nest for themselves." Phoenix draws his sword and shield.

They make it to the old encampment and silently creep into the camp site.

"I don't hear anything." Dragoon mutters.

"Same here." Phoenix signals. "Alright lets get some rest. Keep your armor on just in case and your weapon by your side."

They each set up a tent for themselves and fall asleep.

Phoenix wakes quietly without moving and glances his eyes over to the right of him. "_I guess he's back._" Phoenix thinks to himself.

He slowly reaches into his pouch on his waist and grabs some rope. He leaps at the thief and binds his hands at the wrists to the pole holding the tent up.

"Gotcha this time! Do you have nothing better to do with your life other than try to steal my hide?" Phoenix reaches for the thief's face mask and rips it off.

"Well well, look who it is!" Phoenix says quite loudly trying to alert his friends.

Dragoon suddenly leaps through the tent entrance carving blade in hand. "What's going on!"

"Recognize who this is?"

"Hey... that's the girl back from the outpost that was checking you out." Dragoon notices the bound hands and sheathes his carving blade.

"This is the second time someone has tried to steal my Kirin Hide. Would it be chance that two people know about what I have or has it been the same person twice?" Phoenix says as though he was at a local interrogation.

The woman stays quiet.

"Fine then, you can just stay tied to that pole for a few days and we'll see if you talk to us then." Phoenix sits back down in his bed.

"Seems like you got this under control. I'm going back to bed." Dragoon walks out of the tent yawning.

"Well it seems we got quite a problem here lady. You've tried to steal something very valuable from me not once but twice. I wonder if I should let you go and give you another the chance to get this hide, should I leave you here to rot, or should I turn you into the authorities when we reach the outpost we're heading to?"

"Don't leave me here!" She quickly yells.

"Keep your voice down woman, you might wake my friend and my friend isn't as nice as I am."

She shuts her mouth and looks down again.

"Are you afraid to look me in the eye?"

She looks at Phoenix, then looks back down. "I can't believe you killed a Kirin." She mutters quickly.

"Me kill a Kirin, Ha! I don't think I could kill one of the Elders even if my life depended on it!"

"Then how did you get that hide?"

"When I was on a trip into the canyons back in the Outlands I ran into a dead one."

She laughs. "Then I'm a better hunter than you are."

"Is that so? I guessed it didn't die from hunger or thirst when I examined the body. You must of some how wounded it and it got away, huh. So much for you being a better hunter than I, you can't even keep up with a wounded creature." Phoenix laughs.

"Shut up!" She growls.

"Oh seems I struck a nerve, huh? Well, I'm going to get some sleep have a nice night."

"You can't leave me tied up like this!"

Phoenix ignores her and falls asleep.

Phoenix wakes the next morning and looks over. The woman is still tied to the pole.

"Whoops." Phoenix gets up stretches and gets more rope from his backpack laying on the floor next to his bed.

He walks over to the sleeping woman and ties her hands together and her feet. Then he unties the rope holding her to the pole.

Phoenix tosses her over his shoulder and walks to his bed. "There you are." He lays her down on his bed and ties her to the frame of the bed. He then gathers his equipment and heads out of his tent.

Dragoon and Orpheus are sitting around the fire cooking some breakfast.

"Well how was she, Phoenix?" Dragoon chuckles.

"I didn't sleep with her! I just tied her to my bed after I woke up."

"Oh so your into that sort of thing, eh?"

"That's not what I meant. Shut the hell up, Dragoon!" Phoenix smacks Dragoon's shoulder.

Dragoon laughs. "I'm just kidding! So you say she tried to steal your hide twice now?"

"Yea, I guess by what she told me before she fell asleep. She apparently wounded the Kirin but couldn't keep up with it when it ran away." Phoenix laughs.

"Well, that's not a very good hunter." Dragoon mumbles.

"Anyways, I don't know what I want to do with her."

Dragoon grabs his carving blade and smiles evilly. "Want me to take care of her for you?"

Phoenix rolls his eyes. "You need to calm down, we kill monsters not other humans, Dragoon."

"Says you. I can't seem to have fun when you're around." Dragoon sighs.

Orpheus raises his hand. "I say you just let her go, Sir."

"You don't need to call me Sir, Orpheus, just call my Phoenix."

"Sorry Sir, I mean Phoenix. I don't think she did any harm to you."

"She tried to steal a 'very' valuable item from me, Orpheus. If it was just money then yes I would let her go, but this is a completely different story."

"I guess it's up to you." Orpheus goes back to eating his food.

"Let me go dammit!" The woman yells from inside the tent.

Everyone looks over at Phoenix's tent.

Phoenix sighs. "Mind if I take some of this food?"

Dragoon shrugs. "Go for it."

Phoenix takes two hunks of meat and walks over to his tent.

He enters the tent waving the meat. "Care for a meal?'

"Untie me and yes I am hungry!"

"Quite the feisty attitude you got there lady. I think I'd rather leave you like that until I figure out what I'm gonna do with you."

He walks over and holds the food next to her face. "Here yo go, eat up."

She hesitates but then takes a bite out of it. She mumbles something.

"Didn't you learn not to talk with your mouth full?" Phoenix laughs.

She swallows the food and mumble very quietly. "Thank you."

"What was that?" Phoenix says sarcastically.

"Thank you!" She yells out.

"No need to be that loud, I was only kidding."

Phoenix takes a bite out of his food and thinks for a second.

"You know, if you promise to not hit me I'll untie you."

She takes a moment then says. "Fine."

Phoenix stands up and sets his food down. "Now if you're a good girl I'll go get some water."

She doesn't say anything.

"Oh alright then." Phoenix goes to sit down again.

"I'll be good, I promise." She quickly says before Phoenix sits down.

"Alright then." He walks over to her and unties her from the bed and picks her up so she can sit up.

"What no kicks to the groin?" Phoenix puts his hands over his crotch.

She laughs a little.

"See, isn't that better now. It's better to be happy than grumpy."

"Can I have another bite?"

Phoenix holds the food up to her face and she takes another bite.

"Eat slow now, don't want you to choke to death on that now."

He reaches over for the water and opens it up and lets her take a swig.

"There you go. So what's your name anyways?"

She hesitates while trying to swallow the water and food. "Keira, what's yours?"

Phoenix smiles. "The names Phoenix. I got two friends out there, want to meet them?"

"I don't want that Azure man to hurt me!"

Phoenix laughs. "I won't let him. By the way, if you behave yourself. I'll split the hide with you."

She looks him in the eyes with a surprised yet happy look. "Really?!"

Phoenix goes into a slight trance for a moment. Her green eyes somewhat tearing up and glittering with her vibrant red hair.

"Are you alright?" She asks after a few seconds.

Phoenix shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts. "Yea, sorry. It's just you're quite beautiful when your happy like that." He laughs nervously.

She blushes. "Whatever!" She says trying to act angry again.

"Lets get these ropes off you." Phoenix stands up and unties her.

She rubs her wrists and ankles.

"I'm sorry if I tied those to tight. I'm used to wrapping up monsters not humans."

"It's fine. I'm just..." She stops and looks at the tents entrance.

"Hey Phoenix, if your done hitting on your new girlfriend. We'd better head out"

She blushes instead of screaming.

Dragoon looks kinda puzzled. "Anyways, get your ass out here already."

Phoenix reaches his hand out. "Want help getting up?"

She grabs his hand and stands up. "I'm so sorry for what I've put you through. It's just I went through hell trying to kill that creature."

"And I'm sorry for tying you up like an animal." Phoenix smiles.

"I acted like one." She says laughing nervously.

"Anyways lets head out and I'll try to formally introduce you."

She nods her head and walks out with Phoenix.

"Hey guys, I'd like you to meet Keira. She'll be traveling with us."

Dragoon growls. "Why the hell would I want a thief traveling with me?!"

Keira flinches and grabs Phoenix's arm.

"For goodness sakes she took down a Kirin? I don't believe that for one moment! She is scared of me for gods sakes!" Dragoon snaps accusingly.

"That's because your scarier than a Kirin!" Keira mumbles behind Phoenix.

Orpheus suddenly cuts in. "Hey guys, come on now lets just get along!"

Phoenix raises his arms. "Calm down. This friendly guy over here in the sharp blue armor is Orpheus."

Keira walks over and shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you. What are you here for?"

"Phoenix is my instructor for this quest to help me learn more about being a hunter."

Keira smiles at Phoenix. "Such a nice man. Helping out other hunters and tying up women." She laughs.

Phoenix smiles. "Yep... hey wait a second. I don't just tie up women..."

Keira laughs cutting him off mid sentence. "I'm only kidding!"

Dragoon laughs. "Never mind I kinda like her... kinda."

Phoenix points at Dragoon. "And this frightening beast over here is Dragoon."

Keira and Dragoon refrain from shaking hands.

Phoenix tries to lighten the mood. "So what weapon do you like to use Keira?"

She lets go of his arm. "I, uh, I like to use a Light Bowgun."

"Well that explains why you didn't get hurt fighting an Elder like Kirin." Phoenix nods his head.

Phoenix throws his backpack on. "Well then let's head out!"

The party welcomes the new member and they set out once again towards the volcanic regions outpost.


	4. The Raging Diablos

**The Raging Diablos**

"It feels like a storm is coming." Phoenix said closing his eyes and raising his head.

"What're you some sort of psychic now, Phoenix?" Dragoon growls.

"No, you can feel the pressure from the wind."

Keira reaches into her waist pouch and puts a veil over her face. "That's why I like this."

"That, and it hides you're ugly face." Dragoon says laughing.

Keira punches Dragoon on the arm.

"Did something just tickle me?" Dragoon laughs.

Keira reaches for her bowgun.

Phoenix raises his hand. "Now now, you two. We're suppose to work together, not fight each other!"

Keira puts her arm down at her side.

Phoenix unlatches his helm from his belt and puts it on. "Gear up people."

Dragoon and Orpheus put their helms on as well.

"I got a bad feeling guys." Orpheus mumbles.

"Don't get you're panties in a twist, Orpheus." Dragoon says mockingly.

"Why do you always gotta say stuff like that?" Orpheus replies.

"It's what hunters me do to the newbies like you."

"When the heck will I not be a newbie?"

"When you prove it to me." Dragoon laughs.

Orpheus proceeds to glare at Dragoon with quite an angry face.

"Are they always like this?" Keira quietly asks leaning towards Phoenix.

"It's not like they've known each other for years, but yes ever since we met him back at the Outlands outpost."

Keira rolls her eyes.

"Let's get moving guys..."

Right as Phoenix begins to finish stopping Dragoon and Orpheus. A giant wall of flurrying sand comes into view over the horizon.

"Oh dear." Orpheus says in a worried manor.

The party continues to move forward as the sand storm reaches them.

"Stick together and form a line guys. Just concentrate on the person in front of you, so you don't get lost!"

Everyone nods their heads and forms up behind Phoenix.

Keira runs in front of Orpheus and behind Phoenix.

Orpheus sticks behind Keira. "I'm not taking up the rear this time!"

"Fine, I'll guard our asses." Dragoon growls contentedly.

The sand storm hits the party with full force. Everyone flinches and leans forward with their heads down, trying to keep the sand out of their eyes.

"It's been a while since one of these has hit!" Dragoon yells.

"Stop complaining, you're not in the front!" Phoenix yells back, taking most of the sand and wind.

Everyone gets closer to each other.

"Grab each others shoulders!" Phoenix yells.

"We should stop, Phoenix!" Orpheus yells.

"If we stop we might get buried by the sand!" Phoenix replies.

"Orpheus is right!" Dragoon yells stopping in place. "We should stay still and hope it dies down!"

"Fine! Everyone stop!" Phoenix says reluctantly.

Everyone flinches as sand pelts their bodies. Suddenly the storm dies, almost instantly.

"Thank god!" Orpheus yells as he takes off his helm dumping out the sand that had gathered inside.

"I don't like this feeling." Dragoon growls.

"Yea, I feel it too." Phoenix mumbles.

"What's wrong?" says Keira.

"Storms don't just stop like that." Dragoon growls.

"Everyone spread out! Keira stay close to Dragoon."

"Why?!" Keira immediately complains.

"Because out of all of us, Dragoon has the best defenses."

Dragoon smirks cockily at Keira.

"Orpheus you take left, I'll go right."

"Sure thing, Phoenix!" Orpheus gives a thumbs up running to the left.

Everyone draws their weapons waiting for any sort of sign. Suddenly the ground shakes.

"I hate the dessert!" Phoenix yells.

A giant wyvern breaks through the sands in the middle of the group, scattering their makeshift formation.

There stands a Diablos. A fierce some beast standing nearly twenty feet tall. It has sand colored hide, two giant horns, stands on two muscular hind legs since it's forelegs are powerful wings, and it has a very long tail with a giant club like bone at the end.

It charges at Dragoon and Keira first.

"Ah, shit!" Dragoon growls putting his sword in front of him like a shield and burying the tip in the ground.

Keira points her bowgun at the creature and fires off six bullets in very quick succession, but they all clank off it's tough carapace. "What the hell!?"

"That won't work honey." Dragoon snarls as the Diablos lowers it's head and slams full force into Dragoon's sword.

Dragoons skids back a good fifteen feet, grunting. "Not today!"

Dragoon's armored back slams into Keira as he is propelled backwards and the impact knocks her down, dazing her.

"Keira!" phoenix yells.

Dragoon realizes what's happened and with the Diablos' horns grinding into his sword he lets out a roar, bringing the beast to a stop right before they run Keira over.

"Let's see what you got, beastie!" Dragoon growls. He digs one foot into the ground and begins to push the giant wyvren back.

The Diablos locks it's horns into his sword and flings Dragoon through the air.

"Holy shit!" Dragoon yells as he is flung skyward, barely hearable over a loud cracking noise.

"That's it!" Phoenix charges the beast, but right as he goes to swing at the Diablos' it swings it's tail at him.

"Shit!" Phoenix quickly raises his shield as the giant club-like tail slams into him. Phoenix goes flying off to the side. The Diablos slams it's feet into the ground and let's out a deafening roar. Everyone still standing is forced to cover their ears, flinching from the roar.

Orpheus yells. "Where'd it go?!"

Everyone looks up and all they see is a hole in the ground where the Diablos once stood.

Dragoon finally manages to get up. "It can dig, remember!"

Dragoon looks down at his sword and sees multiple cracks along the blade. "That can't be good." Dragoon mumbles in irritation.

"You alright, Dragoon?!"

"Yea, I'm fine!" Dragoon shouts back.

"Can't say the same for my sword though" Dragoon quietly says to himself.

"Keira!?" Orpheus calls.

"I'm fine, but my gun broke when the Diablos his us."

Phoenix runs over to her. "Here, might not be as quick as you're bowgun. But, it should get the job done. Be careful this thing has a lot of kick to it."

Phoenix hands his bowgun to her and some shells. "Thanks." Keira replies.

"Alright spread out again. We don't wanna get hit all at once." Phoenix yells in a encouraging manner.

Suddenly the ground shakes near Orpheus and he leaps to the side. The Diablos comes flying out of the ground and lands on it's feet. It instantly swings it's tail at Orpheus.

"Heres my chance!" Orpheus grins insanely. He jumps into the air and grabs onto Diablos' tail. "I got you now!" Orpheus yells as he climbs up along the tail onto it's back.

Dragoon smiles. "Go newbie, go!"

Orpheus unsheathes his swords and in a frenzied state slashes away at it's back. Pieces of it's carapace go flying off and it snarls in pain. It tries to buck Orpheus off, but Orpheus takes both of his swords and stabs them into the Diablos' back.

Orpheus laughs. "Just try and shake me off!"

Keira pulls out Phoenix's bowgun and loads a round into the breach. "Man this thing isn't very light."

She aims it at the wyvren and fires off a round. The bullet flies out of the barrel and goes right through it's left wing, completely blasting it off.

Keira hears a loud snap and falls to the ground in pain. "Aaaahh!'

Phoenix looks over and see that she broke her arm trying to fire his bowgun. It was bent back at a disturbing angle, nearly protruding from the skin. "Oh, no."

Phoenix gets overcome with anger and charges at the Diablos before it tries to hurt his wounded ally.

"Just die!" Phoenix yells leaping at the beasts legs slicing right through it's left tendon.

It falls to the ground and Orpheus jumps off on the way down. "Do something, Dragoon!"

"Payback time, asshole!" Dragoon picks up his fractured sword and runs towards the Diablos.

He skids raising his sword up as he musters all of his strength. He slams the blade into the Diablos' neck and cleaves it cleanly off.

His sword impales into the ground and snaps in half. "It was worth it!" Dragoon growls throwing the remaining half of the blade to the ground.

Everyone runs, or walks in Dragoon's case, over to Keira.

"Are you alright?!" Phoenix yells.

But there is no response she just lays there unconscious with a nearly shattered arm.

"Let's set up a camp and try to treat her wound." Dragoon says trying to break up the worry.

They set up a camp and treat her arm to the best of their ability. Phoenix and Orpheus stay inside the tent helping Keira while Dragoon heads outside.

"Can't believe that hunk of treated metal broke like that. What the hell am I going to do. I can't just buy a new one out here and I don't wanna get ambushed with no weapon. Although with Keira out of commission and no weapon someone will have to carry her, so we only have Orpheus and Phoenix to guard us. I pretty much spent myself on that fight so Phoenix will probably have to carry her, since Orpheus' armor isn't exactly safe."

Dragoon looks at the Diablos carcass and gets an idea. "Hmm."

He gets his carving knife out and begins to carve its legs off. "This thigh bone would work pretty well I bet."

Dragoon spends a few hours carving the leg off and cleaning it. He doesn't see either of his still intact teammates exit the tent, but is too focused on his task to take much notice.

"Kind of blunt, but this should do for now." Dragoon holsters the weapon on his back and heads into the tent.

"How is she doing?" Dragoon asks.

"Well she calmed down after we got a splint on it and I got her to take some herbs to numb the pain, but we have to get to a town soon. We won't have the supplies to keep her healthy for long out here."

"I see Orpheus fell asleep." Dragoon mumbles as he looks over at Orpheus laying on the ground.

"Yea, he definitely showed he has what it takes to be a hunter." Phoenix smiles.

"Quite the little demon when he gets close to something, eh?" Dragoon chuckles.

"I actually almost felt sorry for that poor beast when he was hacking away at it's spine." Phoenix laughs.

"Yea... almost." Dragoon replies.

"Tomorrow we have to make haste to the volcanic outpost, Dragoon." Phoenix yawns.

"Yea, I think you should carry her and me and Orpheus will cover you guys."

"With what, you're broken weapon?"

"That's why I made this puppy." Dragoon unholsters his new weapon off his back.

"That looks more like an axe than a blade, Dragoon."

"Hey, whatever works. Besides it will hold out until we can get to the outpost. I'll have the local smith there treat it to make it better."

"Hopefully they got a nice big vat of Monster Fluid to soak it in." Phoenix chuckles.

"Anyways, let's get some sleep." Phoenix says yawning once more.

Dragoon and Phoenix go to sleep after some more discussion on the fastest route to the guild outpost.

Phoenix wakes to Keira patting him on the face. "What happened to me?" She whispers.

"You broke you're arm trying to fire my bowgun." Phoenix frowns.

"It's alright, it's what happens in the heat of the moment with a new weapon." Keira smiles then flinches from a sharp pain.

"I can't do much more for you with the supplies I have with me. We have to get you to the outpost as soon as possible."

"I'll be fine with you guys helping me." She smiles then falls asleep again.

Phoenix stands up and wakes Orpheus and Dragoon. "Hey guys, we got to head out."

Everyone packs up quickly and gets ready to move out.

Dragoon helps Phoenix put Keira onto his back. "Okay we have to reach the outpost within a day or she might get a fever or an infection."

Dragoon and Orpheus nod their heads in agreement.

The party sets out and jogs for nearly a day through blazing heat, but they are able to reach the outpost without any more "incidents".

"Why is it, when you get close to safety that's when they like to attack you?" Dragoon laughs.

Phoenix and Orpheus smile and laugh.

As they reach the outpost the guard goes to ask for their cards. "Please show me you're... what happened?!"

The guard looks at Keira, who was currently unconscious on Phoenix's back. "We had a run in with a Diablos and she broke her arm pretty bad in the fight." Phoenix replies.

"No need for paperwork, get her to the infirmary now!"

"No argument there." Says Dragoon.

The party takes Keira to the infirmary

"Hey guys I've got to report this to the Guild Rep here. I'll talk to you later, please one of you stay here with her at all times until I get back."

"Will do Phoenix!" Orpheus says giving him a thumbs up.

Phoenix heads to the Guild Rep and tells him of how they came here on a training assignment, but ran into Keira and the Diablos.

"Oh my, well I do have a Maccabeus assigned to this area on population control duty. But he has been gone for about three weeks now." Says the Guild Representative.

"Well, we need to leave this women in you're care and head out to find Maccabeus and take out a Basarios for Orpheus' training."

"No arguments here. Just be careful."

"Will do, sir." Phoenix heads back to the infirmary to check on Keira.

"How is she doing?"

"Well the doctor said she has a slight fever, but we did well on treating her wound." Orpheus replies.

"Where's Dragoon?"

"Oh he headed out a while back to the tavern for a drink."

"Well, at least that hasn't changed." Phoenix laughs.

"Yea, I'll stay here for a while if you want Phoenix." Orpheus smiles.

"Thanks man, I need to check the local smith here see if he can do anything with my Kirin Hide."

Phoenix makes his way to the local blacksmith. Hopefully, the smith here knew how to treat the hide.

"Hey, hows business been here..." After a seconds pause, "Erald?!"

"Hey Phoenix, long time no see."

"What, how, when did you get here?!" Phoenix says in astonishment.

"Oh I caught a caravan here. Funny thing is I talked to my master and he showed me how to treat that hide of yours." Erald says with a large grin.

"Oh thank god. I'm tired of hauling this around with me. Although my plans have changed about what I want to do with it."

"Oh really?"

"Yea, as it turns out a woman was responsible for wounding it."

"Ah, a nice gift to please you're new girlfriend I see." Erald chuckles.

"Anyways, I want you to make her armor instead of a cloak for me."

"Aye, I can do that for ya. But she'll need to come down for some measurements first."

"No, I can tell you her measurements. I want to give it to her as a gift."

"How soon can you have it done?"

"Oh, I'd say about one month."

"One month?!"

"Aye, these materials are very sturdy and they give off a sort of field that repels most materials, especially the metals most of tools are made of that I use to treat normal hides."

"Give me a break, Erald! Fine, then I'll have you deliver it to her, along with this note." Phoenix hands a note in a envelope to Erald.

"Oh, a love letter." Erald laughs.

"Erald..."

"Fine fine, leave it to me Phoenix. By the time you get back it should be done and you'll have one happy girlfriend."

"Thanks Erald, I owe you one."

"Yea, you'll owe me plenty of money for this." Erald chuckles as Phoenix leaves the shop.

Phoenix heads over to the tavern to tell Dragoon what going down.

"Well as it turns out my Kirin Hide is being turned into armor for Keira." Phoenix says walking up behind Dragoon.

"What?! Are you bloody daft?" Dragoon yells and whirling around showing no real surprise.

"I feel sorry for taking her kill and breaking her arm. It's a gift, a very expensive and rare gift. But a gift all the same."

"I think you're falling for her." Dragoon chuckles.

"What if I am?"

Dragoon looks a bit puzzled. "To each his own I guess."

"Whatever, Dragoon. We'll be heading out tomorrow for Orpheus' training assignment."

"I don't know if he really needs the training. He straight up tore that Diablos apart just fine."

"True, but we are still under contract and we have a bit of a side one as well."

"Eh?"

"We have to find Maccabeus and see what's become of him. He was on population control and has been gone for three weeks."

"Well, you did the same not long ago, Phoenix."

"Yea, but you know how his luck is."

"Yea thats true, horrible luck for getting in bad situations. But, he also has pretty good luck for getting out of them too."

"Anyways, I'm gonna go over to the hospital and tell Orpheus to get some some rest. We will head out tomorrow."

"Alright, well good night Phoenix see you tomorrow then." Dragoon waves as phoenix leaves the tavern and makes his way back to the hospital.

"Hey, Orpheus."

"Oh hey, Phoenix."

"We better head out now. Since she's okay, I'm going to leave her to their care. We have to get some rest and head out tomorrow for you're training."

"Yes, sir."

Phoenix rolls his eyes as Orpheus leaves the room.

Phoenix talks to the doctor before he leaves.

"Hey Doc, I'm Phoenix. I'm the one that brought Keira here."

"Good to meet you formally. You did a good job on her care for being out in the wild."

"I got used to it fast, I hunt alone a lot. I've had to take care of myself for the most part because of that and I've learned a lot."

"Good to know hunters aren't loosing their touch." The doctor laughs.

"I want you to give her this note when she wakes up and is feeling better." Phoenix hands him the note.

"I will make sure to give it to her personally."

"Thanks, Doc." Phoenix leaves the hospital and heads back to the tavern.

He checks out a room for the night and goes to sleep.

The next morning Dragoon, Orpheus and Phoenix Restock their supplies and meet at the front gate.

"So you get you're sword treated, Dragoon?"

"Yea, Erald was able to do a very fine overnight job on my brand new baby."

"Well that's good to hear. Let's head out shall we."

The party heads out in search of Maccabeus.

The following day Keira awakes to a nurse tending to her arm.

"Excuse me, but do you know where a hunter named Phoenix is?" Keira asks the nurse.

"I'll go get the doctor, I was told he has a message from him for you."

A few moments later the doctor walks in and tells Keira about her friends and hands her the note.

_Dear, Keira._

_I hope you like the gift I'm having the smith make for you. It should be done by the time you're better. Talk to Erald and tell him you know me. Dragoon, Orpheus and I set out to look for our friend Maccabeus and to finish Orpheus' training. I hope to see you again. Not to make you wait, but I would like to see you again. _

_Wait for me,_

_Phoenix_

Keira's eyes began to tear up.

The Doctor asks. "Are you alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine. Thank you for helping me. I don't have much money to pay you for this though."

"Don't worry Phoenix has already covered your stay and your treatments." The doctor smiles and walks out of the room.

"I'll wait Phoenix, I promise."


	5. Heated Battle

One week passes as Phoenix and his party of hunters travel towards the volcanic region to meet up with a old friend Maccabeus and take down a Basarios, as part of Orpheus' training.

"Almost there guys." Phoenix says taking a drink of water from his can tine.

"Man it's getting hot." Orpheus replies taking off his helmet and wiping the sweat from his face.

"It's a area covered in volcanoes and fissures of magma running everywhere, what did you expect Orpheus?" Phoenix laughs.

"We better be cautious. People back in the dessert outpost told me they've been having Ioprey problems lately."

"Yea, I heard the same thing, Dragoon. Every one be ready for a fight." Phoenix says as he pulls his shield out and puts it on.

They continue for another day before they reach the volcanic region's outpost. They report in and Immediately head out.

"Why couldn't we rest guys?" Orpheus exhaustingly pants trying to regain his breath.

"We can't waste any time, Orpheus. Maccabeus has been missing for a while and we need to down a Basarios while their population is still up and are legal to hunt."

"Don't worry newbie, there will be plenty of time to rest when you die on your training hunt." Dragoon says loudly.

"Oh shut it, Dragoon. I owned that Diablos a few days back and you still call me a newbie?"

"You definitely showed you can lose control in a fight, you need to learn to harness that rage and you'll be even better."

"Yea, I guess so. I think that will just come with more time out hunting."

"You're exactly right Orpheus. Stuff like that is only honed with experience, sure there is a factor of luck involved but mostly it's just not taking on things higher than your skill level."

"Yea, some times you just have bad luck."

Right as Dragoon finished a Ioprey jumped out of no where and tried to bite him.

"Don't think so!" Dragoon grabbed his sword, unlatched it from his back and swung it at the Ioprey. The blade gouged it's stomach spilling it's organs and you could hear it crushing the thing's ribs.

"Stay close!" Phoenix shouted and every one stood back to back, facing a different direction.

"Let's try out my bow this time." Orpheus grabbed for his bow and readied a shot. Another Ioprey leaped out from the side, lunging at Phoenix this time. Orpheus pulled the bow back and fired off a arrow, piercing the prey's chest. The Ioprey stumbled as if falling asleep and fell down in front of Phoenix's feet.

Phoenix stabbed the beast in its head to finish it off. "Nice shot, Orpheus!"

"Thanks. So that's what Erald meant by stunning effects." Suddenly a dozen Ioprey came out from the rocks and crevices.

"Down!" Dragoon shouted as he raised his sword up ready to swing. Every one ducked down and Dragoon swung his sword in a circle around him causing most of the Ioprey to leap back. But, one of the Ioprey got hit in the head by Dragoon's weapon and you could hear it's skull being crushed and it's neck snapping at the same time.

"Man I love this thing!" Dragoon roared in excitement.

Phoenix leaped forward towards one of the Ioprey and slit it's throat. One of the Ioprey tried to bite at him but he slammed his shield into it's face. He sliced at its legs cutting its tendons, the beast fell to the ground and he crushed its throat with his shield. He back peddled towards Dragoon and Orpheus.

"Nice one, Phoenix!" Orpheus shouted firing arrows out at the Ioprey. But, they quickly learned what he was doing and dodged all of his attacks.

"They don't seem to want to get hit any more, Orpheus." Dragoon chuckles holding two Ioprey back with his great sword. He pushed them back, both stumbling trying regain their balance. Dragoon took a swing at them, one of them got out of the way in time, but the other got caught in the ribs by Dragoons sword and fell to the ground in pain. Dragoon raised his blade and slammed it down, shaking the ground and splitting the unlucky Ioprey in half.

"There's so many of them!" Orpheus said holstering his bow and pulling out his dual swords.

"This is how they hunt." Dragoon growled.

"I know, but still!"

"Calm down, Orpheus. We can beat them as long as we keep our concentration and work together."

"Yes, Sir!" Orpheus readies his dual swords.

"Get ready for your chance, Orpheus." Phoenix whispers as he holsters his sword and shield and pulls out his bowgun.

"Now!" Phoenix shouts firing off a shot. A loud bang disorients the Ioprey as a very large round flies at a them. It hits one of them digging into it scaly hide, but nothing happens for a moment. Suddenly the Ioprey explodes and Orpheus charges through the explosion.

Orpheus slices at one of the Ioprey's legs and it falls to the ground. He rolls away not finishing it off and stabs another Ioprey's throat and stomach. He leaps backward as two Ioprey lunge at him, then he leaps in and stabs both in the skull at once.

"Get out of there, Orpheus!" Phoenix yells loading a round into his bowgun.

Orpheus runs as quickly as he can towards Dragoon and Phoenix, but he had gotten carried away and is a good fifty feet away.

"Just get down!" Phoenix yells. Orpheus falls to the ground as Phoenix fires off a shot. It wasn't as loud as the other shot, the Ioprey begin to leap at Orpheus while he's on the ground. The round that Phoenix fired flies through the air, it opens up and releases hundreds of small round metal pellets. The Ioprey go flying back as they get hit by the wall of high speed metal.

Orpheus takes a deep breath as he stands back up. "Phoenix, what the hell was that?!"

"It was a pellet shot. Not very safe with others around but I had to use it to take down that many Ioprey all at once. I was just lucky they jumped into the air like that." Phoenix chuckles.

Every one begins to relax after that heated battle, but suddenly they hear something running around the corner of the valley.

"It's the guy!" They hear someone scream and a man comes running full tilt around the corner.

"What the hell?" Dragoon asks confused.

"Maccabeus! Good to see you!"

"Run! It's the guy!" Maccabeus yells sprinting at the group.

"The who?!" Orpheus yelled back.

A giant Ioprey skids around the corner and charges after Maccabeus. The thing stood ten feet tall and fifteen feet long. It had a large purple crest on its face.

"Holy shit, it's an Iodrome!" Dragoon yelled

"A what?!" Orpheus yelled back.

"It's a giant Ioprey that is larger and stronger than the rest of them, it's pretty much their leader."

"That can't be good."

The Iodrome catches up to Maccabeus. "Not again." Maccabeus mumbles as he pulls out his great sword. The center of the blade, a huge and thick disk of metal, expands to form a shield. The Iodrome slams it's head into Maccabeus and he goes flying into a pile of rocks.

The Iodrome roars and charges the rest of the party. He leaps at the party from thirty feet away and slams into Dragoon. Caught off guard, he is barely able to hold it back as the Iodrome bites at his head. They could hear it's jaw slam shut with every bite. The Iodrome, giving up on trying to bite, leans back and spits in Dragoon's face. Dragoon stumbles back and the Iodrome spins, slamming it's huge tail into his chest sending him flying back into some rocks, knocking him out.

"Dragoon!" Orpheus yells as he charges at the Iodrome.

"No, don't charge in like that, Orpheus!" Phoenix yells trying to calm Orpheus down.

"Aahhh!" Orpheus yells as he charges at the beast. The Iodrome looks at Orpheus and charges at him too. The Iodrome bites at Orpheus but Orpheus dodges it rolling to the side. He lunges back up at it's throat but the Iodrome dodges the stab. The Iodrome bites and claws at Orpheus but he manges to dodge all of it's attacks, attacking it back when the Iodrome gives him a chance to. It's quick movements insure that it dodges the majority of the attacks.

Phoenix charges in and begins to attacks it as well. The Iodrome is still able to claw and bite, even though it's out numbered. But, with Phoenix and Orpheus on it at the same time it acts in a much more defensive manner. Jumping back at random making Phoenix and Orpheus run after it. Suddenly a metal object hits the Iodrome in the back of it's leg, making it stumble.

"You're not getting away again, guy!" Maccabeus slams his great sword into it's leg, cutting it off. The Iodrome falls to the ground and Maccabeus slams his sword into the beast's neck cutting it's head off.

"Nice seeing you again, Maccabeus." Phoenix pats him on the shoulder.

"I've been hunting and been being hunted by that guy for a week now."

"It's called an Iodrome." Dragoon mumbles.

"Whatever. That guy sucks!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine. What are you guys doing here?"

"We were sent here to to hunt a Basarios as part of a training assignment for Orpheus here."

"Hey Maccabeus, nice to meet you." Orpheus walks over to Maccabeus and shakes his hand.

"I also requested your help since you were in this area."

"Yea, I was on population control when I ran into this guy." Maccabeus kicks the Iodrome corpse.

"Easy now, we should rest for a while after that. Then we'll track down a Basarios."

"Sounds good to me." Maccabeus says picking up the metal object he threw at the Iodrome.

"What the heck is that thing?" Orpheus says looking at Maccabeus' weird weapon.

"This? It's my shield, it can detach from my great sword if I need to."

"That's so cool."

"Let's set up camp guys and get something to eat and relax for a bit."

The party gathers their equipment and sets up camp.

"That was one heck of a fight." Orpheus say stretching out.

"Yea, it's always fun to fight a pack of Ioprey and their leader." Phoenix replies.

"So you heard of any Basarios in the area, Maccabeus?" Dragoon asks.

"Yea, theres plenty here at the moment. I ran away from I think two today."

"Hopefully we don't run into more than one at a time."

"Yea no kidding, those things are hard as rock." Maccabeus laughs.

"Speaking of 'Hard as rock', what's up with your armor Maccabeus?" Dragoon punches him on the shoulder.

"I killed one a while back that caught me by surprise. I commissioned a blacksmith to make a set for me."

"It fits your style well." Phoenix smiles.

"What's up with your armor, Phoenix. Last time I saw you, you were still wearing Hi-Metal."

"Oh yea, I downed a Rathalos a while back. I guess it has been a while since I've seen you. Looks like you've been doing good, you got a tassel too."

Maccabeus takes off his helmet. "Thanks. Seems like you got one too."

Orpheus whispers to Dragoon. "What, do those those things stand for something?"

"Yea, white tassel's are given to those who show experience and leadership when in a hunting party."

"I didn't know Phoenix was so good."

"It's not that he's a great hunter, not that he isn't, it's just a commendation for those who know what they're doing and are good at leading a party."

"What you talking about over there guys?" Phoenix says.

"Nothing you need to know about." Dragoon growls.

"Oh, fine then." Phoenix laughs. "Let's just get some sleep and then we will head out later to track down that Basarios."

The party sleeps and relaxes for a day then they head out to track down a Basarios.

"Did we really need to take this long of a break, Phoenix?" Orpheus says while yawning.

"To hunt a Basarios you need endurance and patience. Being well rested is just a good idea. There's no easy way of taking one of those things down."

"Why is that?"

"Well, Basarios are an adolescent Gravios. Both are known to absorb what ever minerals are around them and it becomes their hide. We just better hope for a nice soft Basarios."

"Yea, I saw one made out of Carbalite the other day."

"That's just wrong. How are you suppose to bring something like that down?" Complains Dragoon.

"You either bring a lot of hunters with a lot of firepower or you just leave it be. Sometimes you just can't kill something."

"Bah, so says you with your little toothpick of a weapon."

Everyone laughs, but Dragoon and them keep walking.

"Hey I heard someone talking about something called a Crimson Fatalis back in the outpost, what is that?"

Everyone stops dead in their tracks.

"Please don't say that name, newbie."

"What? Is it a bad thing?"

Everyone stays quiet for a second, then Phoenix speaks up. "It's an ancient dragon that wreathes itself in fire and destruction. Let's keep moving!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, Orpheus." Phoenix says in melancholy.

Orpheus frowns.

Dragoon walks closer to Orpheus and whispers to him. "Last time that thing showed itself we lost the old Volcanic outpost; hunters, guards, civilians, everyone... which included Phoenix's parents."

Orpheus doesn't reply he just thought silently about what Dragoon said.

"Next time that thing shows up he's mine and I'll wear his hide for what he did." Phoenix growls.

"Keep moving." Dragoon insists.

The party travels for a while until they come to look over a cliff at a small valley beneath them.

"It's so beautiful." Phoenix says as he looks down at the valley, the walls glow beautiful shades of nearly every color.

"What's making those colors?" Orpheus whispers, astonished by what he sees.

"Probably crystal formations, let's go have a look." Phoenix replies as he descends into the valley. Sure enough large crystals project the light in hauntingly beautiful colors and shapes.

"Wow, these crystals are so big." Maccabeus says walking over to one of them.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Phoenix mumbles.

Right before Maccabeus goes to touch one of the formations it begins to move and Maccabeus runs back.

"What the?" Maccabeus unlatches his great sword and prepares for combat.

Phoenix pulls out his bowgun and loads a normal round into it. The others pull out their weapons.

A Basarios erupts out of the ground at the party and lets out a great roar. Everyone covers their ears and stumble back.

"Is that a Basarios?" Orpheus yells over the noise.

"Yes it is, but this one is odd. It's solid white... kinda looks like diamond." Dragoon growls.

"That's just wrong." Maccabeus sighs.

"How the heck do you fight something that's made out of diamond?!"

"Calm down Orpheus, it's just covered in it. It's not made out of diamond, so it has to have a flaw in the hide some where. They are really tough when they are young but as they get older and grow, their hide gets flaws because of them getting larger. We just have to find one of those and exploit it."

The Basarios begins to charge at the party. "Spread out! Attack it after it runs at you, it's too young to use it's breath attacks yet. So all it has is it's charge and a few other attacks."

The Basarios gets closer to the party.

"It's so slow." Orpheus laughs.

"Get out of the way newbie!" Dragoon yells.

Orpheus jumps out of the way right as the Basarios is about to hit him. It slams into a crystal formation and shatters it like it was glass.

"How much does that thing weigh?!" Orpheus stares in amazement at the shattered crystals.

"A lot, it's slow alright, but very strong. Do not get hit by it's attacks." Phoenix fires off a round from his bowgun. It bounces right off its thigh.

"Okay guys, move in! But be careful, if it's old enough it can emit various gases from it's body."

"You got to be kidding me." Orpheus says as he charges at it with Dragoon and Maccabeus right behind him.

"Let's try to beat on the obvious spots and see what happens!" Dragoon yells as he slams his great sword into it's chest, nothing happens. Maccabeus slams his great sword into it's side, it also bounces off. Orpheus slides under it tail and hacks away at its inner legs.

Suddenly a crack begins to form and starts going from its left leg and towards it's chest.

"Ha, found it guys!" Orpheus yells right as it swipes it's tail at him, he dodges towards the outside, away from it's tail. But then it hip slams Orpheus and sends him flying into a crystal formation.

"I told him this was a test of endurance _and _patience!" Phoenix loads a crag shot into his bowgun and looks for a opening. "Dragoon, Maccabeus try and wail on that crack to make it bigger!"

"You got it!" Maccabeus replies, Dragoon just nods.

Maccabeus detaches his shield puts it on his left arm and hold his great sword with his right hand, leaning it against his shoulder. He charges in slamming his great sword into it's chest and it cracks a little bit more, but the Basarios counters by trying to hip check him. Maccabeus rolls out of the way.

"My turn!" Dragoon charges in and slides under a tail swipe. He stands up and slams his great sword into it's thigh, a huge hunk on crystal falls off the Basarios and it flails in pain. "Now, Phoenix!"

"Already on it!" Phoenix runs towards the Basarios as it flinches. He jabs his bowguns barrel into the open part of it's skin and shoots the crag shot into the Basarios point blank. "Get to cover!" He yells as he runs as fast as he can and dives to the ground.

Everyone hits the ground when they hear a loud but muffled explosion. The Basarios falls to the ground, fire coming out of the area where the crag went off and out of it's mouth, nose and eyes.

"That was so cool, Phoenix!" Orpheus says limping over to the Basarios corpse.

"And dangerous! You could've got yourself killed doing something that stupid with a bowgun!" Dragoon snaps as he hits Phoenix upside the head.

"I didn't want to miss and I only brought one of those with me."

"Well, good shot, if that even counts as a shot." Maccabeus laughs.

"I'd say this would make a fine upgrade for you, Maccabeus." Phoenix chuckles.

"Yea, but how the heck do you harvest materials from something like this?"

"We'll just mark it with some pheromones and let the felynes come pick it up." Dragoon says.

"We can do that?" Orpheus says with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, 'we' can't do it, but Phoenix can. Only higher ranking hunters are allowed to do it."

"Yet another perk." Phoenix grins.

After marking their kill. The party gathers their equipment and heads back for the volcanic outpost. They arrive after one day of travel.

As they get close to the outpost a guard comes running out to them.

"Sir, are you Phoenix?"

"Yes I am, what's the problem?"

"We have a serious problem that the guild representative wants to talk with you about."

"Understood, I marked a unique Basarios corpse while on a hunt. Be sure to dispatch a felyne recovery squad for it. Guys I'll catch up with you later."

"Yes, Sir." The guard escorts Phoenix back into the outpost and to the guild representative's office.

"You needed to see me, Sir?"

"Yes Phoenix, have a seat. We have had reports of a army of bandits that have been raiding the supply lines. The last report we got from a scout we sent out was that they were heading towards the outlands outpost."

"You've got to be kidding me." Phoenix replies, stunned by the message.

"I kid you not, we need rank two or higher hunters to head for the outpost and get ready to defend it. This Orpheus you travel with will be granted a rank increase and will accompany you, Dragoon and Maccabeus back to the outpost."

"Yes, Sir."

"Oh, a message arrived here for you. I wanted to give it to you personally."

_Dear, Phoenix._

_I hereby grant you a rank increase to Hunter Rank Five. This rank has few in it and I hope you use it well. I hope you can serve the guild for years to come._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Guild Master, Raiden_

"Was is good news I hope, Phoenix?"

"Yes it was, Sir. It was a letter of mark from the Guild Master telling me I've been granted Hunter Rank Five. It also contains the guild badge, that I have to wear."

"Well then, you won't need to call us 'sir' from now on, you'll have to remember our names now." The guild representative laughs.

"Thank you."

"I also have a package and letter for a Dragoon, I was told he was traveling with you."

"Yes, he is."

"Then I trust you to get it to him."

"Will do, Sir."

"Phoenix, call me Stehn."

"Right, good day, Stehn." Phoenix walks out of the office and heads down to the local tavern to find Dragoon.

"Dragoon, I've got something here for you." Phoenix walks over to Dragoon.

"You got to be kidding me! Is that a guild badge?!"

"Heh, yea I got a letter from Raiden telling me I got up to rank five."

Suddenly every hunter in the tavern stands up, claps then salutes Phoenix. "Congratulations, Sir!"

"Oh, that's going to get annoying real quick."

"Tell me about it, _Sir_." Dragoon growls.

"Anyway, the guild representative wanted me to give this to you."

"Uh oh!" Maccabeus laughs.

"Great." Dragoon sighs and opens the letter first. "Hell yes, bout damn time."

"What happened?"

"Finally granted me rank four."

"Congratulations, Dragoon." Orpheus pats him on the shoulder.

"I have a feeling I know what's in that package there." Maccabeus grins.

"Yea, unfortunately I think I do too." Dragoon sighs and opens up the package, pulling out a red tassel. "Great..."

"Whats wrong, aren't those tassel awarded for doing good?" Orpheus says.

"Yea, I guess. At least they gave me a red one."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm a beast." Dragoon laughs.

Phoenix quickly replies. "Technically, it's awarded for great strength and sacrifice."

Dragoon attaches it to the bottom of his great sword's handle.

"You know that suppose to go on your helm."

"Yea, right. As long as it's on me some where it's noticeable it's just fine."

"The other thing Stehn told me..."

"Who's Stehn?"

"It's the name of the guild representative from this outpost."

"Okay..."

"He said I shouldn't call them sir anymore."

Dragoon just stares at Phoenix.

Phoenix sighs. "Anyways, we need to head back to the outlands outpost as soon as possible."

"Why?" Dragoon asks.

"Because I guess an 'Army of Bandits' are raiding the supply lines and the latest intelligence says they are going to raid the outlands outpost next."

"Wait wait wait, did you just say 'Army of Bandits'?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"That's just ridiculous." Dragoon laughs.

"It might be odd but orders are orders. We head out immediately, that goes for anyone else who is rank two or higher that is in this room!"

No one speaks up.

"So no one here is rank two or higher?!"

"Man!" Orpheus complains.

"Oh and the guild representative said he will grant you rank two if you go on this mission."

"Sweet, sign me up."

They heard gossip float around the room.

"If all of you want to complain about how he got rank two already. He helped take down a Basarios made our of diamond and a Diablos."

The room went silent again and Phoenix grins.

"Get some supplies and we head out in one hour, for the outlands outpost defense request."

The party resupplied and met up at the gate after one hour.

"This time we might need to kill humans, but it's in the defense of our home! Let's head out."


	6. Battle of Monster and Man

Phoenix and his party travel to the Outlands outpost with haste and make it there in a few days.

The gate guard looks up as he sees Phoenix and his party running towards the gate and walks out to meet them. "Sir, good to see you. Our scouts say they have encountered enemy scouts, they say we have less than a day before they will attack us."

"At least we have some time to get ready, how many hunters showed up with the proper rank?"

"Not many, Sir. Only about ten or so."

"Dammit, just a handful of people against a so called 'army'."

"Sorry, Sir."

"It's not your fault, go inform the guild representative that I have arrived. I have some business to take care of."

Dragoon chuckles. "More like a girlfriend than business."

"At least I'm trying to get something else other than death out of this career, Dragoon."

"Eh, that's all I want to get out of this."

"I'll catch up to you guys later." Phoenix runs off to check on Keira's armor.

"Erald, tell me it's done!" Phoenix yells as he enters the blacksmith's shop.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Phoenix."

Phoenix glares at Erald.

"Hey don't give me that look, Phoenix I can't help we didn't have the right chemicals to treat it."

"What are you trying to say?" Phoenix continues to glare at Erald.

"I didn't have the right chemicals to treat the hide so I used something that was close and it kind of... ruined the hide."

Phoenix slams his fist onto the counter and it splinters the wood. "Are you kidding me?"

"Afraid not, Phoenix. I'm very sorry but I cannot use this hide to make anything."

"Son of a bitch Erald, why didn't you just wait until you got the right chemicals?!"

"I was going to, but I didn't want to disappoint you by not having it done by the time you got back." Erald frowns.

"Guess what, Erald? Now it won't ever get done, thanks a lot." Phoenix stomps out of the blacksmith's shop and stands outside the shop taking deep breaths trying to calm down.

"Now what, first I take the hide from her and now it's ruined. That's just great Phoenix, why can't you ever do anything right besides save you own skin."

"Phoenix!"

Phoenix turns around, the yell came from the direction of the tavern, it was Keira. "Great, I wonder if she knows."

"Phoenix, you're finally back. How did it go?"

"Oh it went fine, we had to fight off some Ioprey, an Iodrome and a Basarios made out of diamond."

"Nice work then." She laughs as if trying to hide something.

"What's wrong, Keira?"

"I uh.... I have some bad news about my armor."

"Yea, I just stepped out of Erald's shop."

"Oh, so you do know? It's alright, I mean we can always get another hide right?"

Phoenix doesn't say anything he just looks down at the ground trying to think of a way to apologize.

"You don't need to say sorry, Phoenix. I mean you got the hide I lost and tried to use it and you saved my life and paid for the bill at the hospital."

Phoenix looks up. "Yea, but you're probably going to hate what I have to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard any rumors about bandits coming here?"

"Bandits? No I haven't."

"I guess it's good that no ones panicking."

"Why, should we be?"

"Don't tell anyone I told you this, but supposedly an 'army' of bandits are heading towards this outpost to sack it."

"You've got to be kidding me?" She laughs.

Phoenix doesn't reply he just looks her in the face with a serious look.

"You aren't, are you? That's horrible you can't just kill humans!"

"Would you rather lose our home?"

"This isn't my home! Do you think I have anything here to call this home?"

Phoenix's eyes widen for a second then he looks down at the ground again with a frown on his face.

"I..." She stops.

"That's fine by me, I have to go and report to the guild representative." Phoenix walks away.

Keira stands there, wanting to say something but she doesn't know what as Phoenix walks away from her.

Phoenix heads over to the guild representative's office.

"You can go right in, Sir." The secretary says to Phoenix as he walks into the office.

Phoenix nods and walks right into the guild representative's room. "Have you heard the news?"

"Yes, Phoenix. We need to get some defenses ready if we want to have a chance of repelling this attack, if the army is large. That is why I'm appointing you to be our temporary 'General.'"

"Come on, there has to be someone else that can do this other than me!"

"Name a hunter that is nearby that is also rank five."

Phoenix frowns.

"Cheer up, Phoenix. This is a honor, I don't recall something like this ever happening before." the Guild Rep. laughs.

"Fine, what should I do then?"

"You should start by gathering hunters of the necessary rank at the tavern and telling them what is going on, I shall give a speech to the citizens while you inform the hunters."

"Alright."

Phoenix heads over to the tavern and informs the maids to walk around the outpost and tell hunters of the necessary rank to meet him at the tavern. After about one hour there are fifteen hunters at the gathering hall.

Phoenix looks around at the hunter, most of them don't look very stoic and are still wearing Hi-Metal or even chain mail still. They probably won't take this news all to well. "Alright, you have been gathered here for me to inform you of a immanent threat."

"And who are you?" Someone Phoenix didn't recognize asked.

"Well I'm Phoenix. A rank five hunter that has been assigned to the be the so called General for this threat."

"A rank five hunter, haven't seen someone that high before." More discussion erupts after Phoenix mentioned his rank.

"Please be quiet, I need to tell you something." The room quiets down after a second. "I was told to tell you that a army is coming here to sack this outpost and we need any hunters rank two or higher to help us defend it."

"Are you kidding me, what army would want to attack us? We keep their land safe from monsters."

"It's a army of bandits, that I guess want to sack it for loot."

More discussion erupts and but this time Dragoon speaks up to quell it. "Hey! Shut the hell up and let the man talk!" The talk quickly silences.

"Thank you, Dragoon. As I was saying, we need to come up with some plans to defend this outpost. We don't know how large their army is yet, but we should assume the worst. This outpost already has fair walls and areas on the walls for ranged support."

As Phoenix begins to discuss defensive plans Orpheus and Dragoon whisper to one another.

"I don't see Keira here, wasn't she like rank three?"

"Yea, I heard they had a bit of a argument outside Erald's shop."

"That sucks, do you think they split up?" Orpheus says leaning closer to Dragoon and lowering his voice even more.

"Were they ever together?" Dragoon replies cynically.

"Still, going through life alone is one thing. But being a hunter and being alone is even worse."

"Wow, how touching Orpheus. What book did you read that in?"

"I didn't read that, I know that from experience."

"Really, what experience?"

"Stop being to mean, Dragoon."

"Fine, but you shouldn't worry about Phoenix. He was fine before she came along, he'll be fine after she's gone."

Phoenix continues to discuss the defenses.

"We'll post five members on the walls to give cover fire for the ten hunters on the ground. The hunters on the walls will be our communication for the hunters on the ground. They will report how many people are coming from what direction and if anyone gets killed so we can re-deploy hunters to the other sides of the outpost. That is all, prepare yourselves for combat and congregate in the center of town not anywhere else, just in case we get attacked."

The other hunters seem to have accepted Phoenix as their leader as they yell in response to his orders. "Yes, Sir!"

The other hunters leave the hall while Phoenix, Dragoon and Orpheus stay to talk.

"I noticed you guys talking while I was giving the other hunters their orders."

Orpheus replies quickly. "I think you should try to apologize to her, Phoenix."

Dragoon just looks at Phoenix and Orpheus.

"By 'her' you mean Keira?"

"Yes."

"I didn't say anything wrong, I just told her something and she got all mad, so I walked away."

"Yea, you don't just walk away from women, Phoenix."

"What would you know about women, Orpheus?"

"I know enough to know not to walk away from them."

"Well you still got time. The outpost is on lock down until this little scuffle is over." Dragoon chuckles.

"True enough, Dragoon. But I've got to try and get everyone through this battle before I can worry about my own agenda. Let's get ready for this thing and try to live through it."

Phoenix and all the other hunters talk while waiting at the center of town, ready for battle.

"Hey, Maccabeus."

"What's up, Orpheus?"

"I was wondering, did the felynes get that Basarios corpse back yet?"

"Yea, the elder smiths are looking at it before I can claim it and use it on my equipment."

"Why do they have to look at it, is it that rare?"

"Think about it, it's made out of diamond and it could move. Something like that intrigues anyone that is into making better gear."

"You think those old guys can think up a way to make you some new armor out of that thing?"

"I hope so, it would look too cool."

A horn suddenly sounded and every one looked up.

A guard yelled from the direction of the south gate. "They're here!"

Phoenix yelled to the hunters. "To your positions!"

Every one ran around trying to get to their guard position, while Phoenix headed towards the south gate to see what is going on. As he got to the gate it opened up, he walked through and ordered it closed.

"You've got to be kidding me." Dragoon snarled standing next to Phoenix.

"Looks like quite the army." Orpheus said nervously laughing.

Phoenix, Orpheus and Dragoon stared in dismay as the horizon slowly filled with the figures of hundreds people. They marched towards the outpost, you could hear their boots in partial unison.

As they got within one hundred yards a man stood in the front of the army. "Hunters are killing too many creatures and are not needed anymore!"

Phoenix stood his ground and replied. "Those creatures we kill if left unchecked would kill innocent people and would bring destruction to your homes!"

The bandit got a disgruntled look on his face and became even more enraged. "Enough talk, ATTACK!"

Dragoon chuckles. "Such ignorance! How do such people live in this world?"

Bows!" Phoenix yells. Three hunters appear on the south wall and drew their bows, each holding five arrows a piece. The bandit army began to charge the fort, their numbers were easily five hundred or more.

"Fire!" Phoenix yells. A volley of arrows flew through the air and every arrow hit someone impaling them to the ground. The bandits yelled as they charged closer to the base, volleys of arrows flew through the air decimating their numbers easily killing fifteen to twenty at a time. The bandits drew about fifty yards away from the outpost.

"Bows, single shots! Dragoon, Orpheus head out!"

"You got it, Phoenix!" Orpheus drew his blades and charged the bandits.

"Well, heres your chance Dragoon. Don't go easy on them."

"I don't intend to." Dragoon drew his massive blade and slammed it into the ground laughing. His sword cleaving a scar into the ground as he charged the bandits, laughing malevolently. The bandits started to stop at the sight of Dragoon charging them in his azure armor, eyes glowing red.

"Orpheus, flanks!" Phoenix yelled.

"Sure thing!" Orpheus stopped charging straight at them and bolted to the left flank of the army. He hit them at such a speed that his armor alone was almost cutting people in half. Then he started to attack with his blades, his attacks slicing in every direction. The bandits tried to attack him but their weapons could not stand up to Orpheus' blades. Their weapon broke or were cut into pieces as they tried to attack him, a few attacks would get past Orpheus but they shattered upon impact on his armor.

"No, I don't want to die. This was a mistake!" Bandits yelled in dread fear as Dragoon closed in on them.

"Too late for that, weaklings!" Dragoon leaped into the air a good ten feet and roared as he slammed his blade into their front line. Cleaving many in two as his blade reached the ground, it hit it with such force that the ground buckled and bandits flew in every direction.

"They are monsters!" The bandits cried. "It's as if a Shogun Ceanataur and a Diablos themselves are attacking us, RUN!"

Dragoon roared as he swung his blade horizontally. Every time he did, twenty or more bandits were cut in half, you could hear their bones shattering as their bodies flew in every direction.

"Dragoon, right flank!" Phoenix yelled as he drew his bowgun off his back.

Dragoon did not reply he just roared and charged off towards the right flank.

Phoenix loaded a shot into his gun and took aim at the center of the bandits. Dragoon and Orpheus kept them in check as Phoenix took aim.

A very loud explosion came from Phoenix's bowgun as he shot. The large object came out of his bowgun at a fast speed. As it hit the front line it split into multiple pieces and huge explosion erupted from the cluster shot. Fifty or more bandits were incinerated in the explosions.

"Run! We cannot beat these monsters!" The bandits yelled trying to flee backwards.

"Pitfall!" Phoenix yells and a guard cuts a large rope inside the gate of the outpost. Right as the bandits began to flee the ground let out underneath them. Multiple pitfall traps opened up and all of the bandits trying to run fell into the spikes that lay at the bottom.

Dragoon and Orpheus continued to cut away at their flanks while Phoenix and the other bowmasters shot at those trying to flee.

"The front is open!" A bandit yelled as they charge at Phoenix, who was alone in the front.

"Shit! Ceasefire! Bows ceasefire!" Phoenix yelled as he put his bowgun away and readied his sword and shield.

Dragoon and Orpheus were too dug into their flanks, trying to hold their retreat to come help Phoenix.

"I can do this, I can do this." Phoenix says to himself as he readies himself. The bandits began to reach Phoenix. But they were not in rank and were fighting Phoenix only a few at a time. Phoenix bashes his shield sending one bandit off balance then attacks other bandits. Constantly moving around trying not to get surrounded. But they continue to come after him.

"Dammit, I can't take this many."

Phoenix reaches into a pouch on his belt and throws a flash bomb into the air. It goes off blinding all the bandits who ignorantly looked up. Phoenix falls back once again and orders a volley from the bowmasters on the wall.

"Shoot!" Phoenix yells standing with his back now to the gate of the outpost.

"We can't, we're out!"

"That's just great." Phoenix mumbles to himself as the bandits begin to regain their vision.

"Sir, more bandits are attacking the north gate!" One of the bowmasters yells to Phoenix.

"Shit."

The gate opens up and ten guards come out. "We can hold them off, Sir. Go help the northern gate." The guards move in front of Phoenix and form a phalanx with their lances and shields.

Phoenix runs through the gate as it begins to close. "Don't be too reckless!"

"Don't worry about us, Sir. We can hold our own against humans just fine." The gate shuts behind them as they prepare for the waves of bandits.

Meanwhile, Orpheus and Dragoon still hold the rear and flanks of the main bandit army thanks to the pitfall traps. But, their armor is starting to see damage from the constant battle. Can they hold out until this ends?

"They aren't hunters, get them!" The bandits begin to charge arrogantly at the town guards. One hundred bandits clash into the guards shields, the guards don't move and inch. They hold back the bandits, then shove them back with their shields and impale them with their lances. They continue to repeat this process as Phoenix reaches the northern gate.

"What's going on here?!" Phoenix yells up the bowmaster as he climbs a ladder to get on top of the wall.

"Just fine, Sir. They are closing in on the bomb rocks we set up."

"Bomb rocks?" Phoenix replies.

"Yes, Sir. You asked us to set up some explosives and I had a good idea of disguising them as rocks made made out of thin slate. It hides them at the same time adding more shrapnel to the bomb."

The bandits begins to close on the north gate. Two hunters with great swords stand at the gate ready to clean up.

"The bandits are in the middle of the bombs, it's time." The bowmaster lights a fuse. You could see it quickly burn along the the wall, then along the ground where the fuse was buried. The bandits stop and look at the fuse burning, but before they could run the twenty bomb rocks exploded. Between the shrapnel and the massive explosions the hundred some bandits are reduced to just a handful, around fifteen.

"Go get them, blademasters." Phoenix yells to the hunters down on the ground.

"Yes, Sir" The hunters charge out and easily kill the remaining bandits.

"I'm going to head back to the south gate and see how it's coming along." Phoenix heads back through town towards the south gate.

"I guess the main army was suppose to distract us from that team who might have tried to sabotage us from the opposite side. I guess it would've worked if we didn't post guys on every side of the outpost for that reason." Phoenix talks to himself until he reaches the south gate.

"Open the gate!" Phoenix runs through the gate to find all ten guards alive and the horrible sight of six hundred bodies lying dead across the area and in the pitfall traps. Orpheus and Dragoon walk back to the south gate, their armor damaged with dents and cracks all over their armor.

They both reach the gate, taking deep breaths.

"How are you guys doing?" Phoenix asks them.

Dragoon coughs and breaths heavily. "I've been better."

Orpheus stabs his swords into the ground and takes off his helmet. He sits down between them, panting not saying a word.

"We lost no guards, no hunters and the outpost took little damage, mostly from our own bombs. We couldn't have done better, great work. Lets head back into the outpost and rest before we clean up this mess."

Dragoon and Orpheus gather their gear and head into the fort followed by the guards. Everyone meets in the center of the outpost, where the guild representative is waiting.

"There he is, our victorious commander!" The guild representative yells and the civilians and other hunters clap and cheer.

"Phoenix, Dragon and Orpheus please come over and stand here with me."

Dragoon frowns.

Orpheus smiles. "Come on guys we've earned this."

"These hunters have done one of the greatest deeds in the guilds history. They have defended a fort with no casualties from a extremely superior force." The crowd applauds once again.

"This deed is almost in the same league as Raiden single handily taking down the Fatalis that threated Castle Schrade, almost." He laughs. "Does any our heroes care to give us a speech?"

Dragoon shoves Phoenix in front of them.

Phoenix stands there for a second, thinking of what to say. "I don't want to sound cheesy but this is not just our doing, I want to thank the guards that held the south gate while I was at the north gate also Orpheus and Dragoon that got in deeper into the enemy lines than I ever could have. They held the enemy flanks and rear so they could not outflank us or retreat. Also the bowmasters that supported us during the battle." The crowd applauds Phoenix as he steps back.

The crowd and the guild representative continues to clap for a minute. "Alright calm down. Get some rest for tomorrow we we need to clean up the bodies and give them a burial."

The crowd, splits up while Phoenix, Orpheus and Dragoon stand in the center of town talking after the crowd leaves.

"Now that was fun, tiring, but fun." Dragoon laughs.

"I don't know, killing people wasn't fun, the battle was exiting though." Orpheus grins.

"Yea, tell me about it." Dragoon continues to laugh.

"What's the matter, Phoenix?" Orpheus looks over at Phoenix.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about some stuff."

"Would that stuff happen to include your break up?" Dragoon smirks.

Phoenix doesn't reply and Dragoon loses his smirk.

"I didn't mean to..." Dragoon tries to apologize.

"No, it's alright Dragoon. I shouldn't think about making a family when in this line of work." Phoenix puts on a fake smile and laughs.

"There's always retirement, right Phoenix?" Orpheus punches Phoenix's shoulder and laughs.

"I'm a long way from that, hopefully I can make it there with the crap we've been handed recently."

Dragoon looks around before talking and whispers. "One of the guards told me they let Keira leave through the east gate before the battle started."

Phoenix looked up and his eye widened.

Orpheus quickly responds. "That wasn't very safe, not to mention it went against the guild representatives orders to not leave the outpost."

Phoenix looked down in deep thought.

"Well! I'm gonna get some rest. I'll see you guys later." Dragoon walked off to the Inn to get some sleep.

"Yea, I'm gonna go as well Phoenix. Wait up, Dragoon!" Orpheus walked off with Dragoon towards the Inn.

Phoenix stood there thinking to himself. "_I wonder if she is safe. Should I see if I can retire and spend the rest of my days with her. Does she even want to spend the rest of her days with me? No, I can't quit now. If I keep going I will eventually get my chance of revenge, if I keep going I will run into the Crimson Disaster sooner or later." _

Phoenix looked up into the sky and raised his open hand up. "Sooner or later I will get my revenge." He said and then clenched his fist.


	7. Anger and Ruinion

Several months pass, the party that once defended the town split up and went on different assignments. Orpheus was assigned to the volcanic area, Dragoon traveled to the desert, Maccabeus went to the swamps and Phoenix headed to the Forest and Hills.

Phoenix walked through the forest thinking about the life he has chosen. "_I wonder if what I did was right, I mean I did save the outpost. But, was it really worth it killing all those people. I haven't found a girl I can settle down with, well I did but... I lost her... serving the guild..."_

Phoenix was walking towards a very secluded part in the forest. A small grove surrounded by trees and other plants, it also has a small waterfall only ten feet high and six feet wide. "I think I'll chill out there for a while until I can cool off and wrap my head around some things. I have always loved the forest, the deep green trees blowing in a light breeze, leaves falling to the ground and the smell of the flowers that surround the area. It creates such a peaceful bliss."

Phoenix was getting close to the grove in the forest when he heard some one talking. "Huh, not many people know of this spot I don't know if I want company though, I kind of wanted to be alone."

Phoenix stood on the outside of the grove and looked through the thick foliage, it was Keira. "It's her.. I.. should say something, but what? No, I don't think shes for me."

Phoenix began to step away and broke a branch, Keira quickly turned around. "Who's there?!" She said in a slightly scared tone.

Phoenix stopped where he stood and turned his head to look back to reply, before he could say anything Keira said quietly. "Phoenix..." She clenched her hand on her chest.

Phoenix slowly turned around and faced her, not saying a word he just grinned. They stare at each other for a second, but cannot find the courage to say anything. Keira suddenly got a angry look on her face and pointed her finger at Phoenix. "You pervert! You were trying to catch me taking a bath weren't you?!"

"No! That's not it I like to come here to.." Phoenix looked at Keira's feet and noticed she didn't have her boots on. He held up his hands like he was under arrest.

Keira began to stomp over to him. "You jerk I'm going to.." Before she could finish she tripped on a loose rock and began to fall, Phoenix stepped forward and caught her. As Phoenix began to pull her to her feet she looked up at him, she was crying.

She clenched her fist and began to hit Phoenix on his chest. He was still wearing his armor so it didn't hurt, he just smiled at her. "Why did you just leave me, you jerk!"

"I didn't mean to I had to help the outpost."

"Is the guild that important to you?!"

"I don't know anymore, I don't think I could live a normal life after what I've been through so I don't want to quit. But, there are some thing now that I would quit for." He grinned and looked into Keira's eyes.

Keira began to stop crying and stared at Phoenix, she stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, under his arms. She started to cry again. "I don't want to be alone."

At first Phoenix left his arms in the air, but after a second he too wrapped his arms around her. They stood there embracing each other as she cried.

"You know, I wanted to spend some time alone but I think we could use the company." Phoenix smiled.

Keira began to stop crying and let out a long yawn. "I haven't gotten much sleep or food lately."

"Grab your boots and we'll head back to my camp to get you something to eat and you can sleep there for a while."

"Okay, but.." She blushed.

"What is it, something wrong?"

"I'm kinda tired, think you could carry me?"

Phoenix laughs and turns around holding his arms backwards. Keira hops onto his back and they begin to walk back to his camp. "So long have you been out here?"

"A couple weeks, I came in from the swamps." She explained tiredly. "I was looking for another Kirin, ever since you ruined the last one I got."

"Hey, I didn't ruin it. That was Erald's fault. Don't worry though, if you stick with me I'm sure we'll find another one. Keira?" Phoenix looked back and she had fallen asleep.

It only took me about twenty minutes to get back to the camp, when I got back I put her down on my bed and I sat outside while she slept and cooked up some meat I got from a Apcynoth. After a few hours she woke up and walked out with a blanket still wrapped around her.

"You get a good sleep?"

"Yea, thanks." She smiled and walked over and sat on the bench next to me. When she sat down she leaned over and layed her head on my shoulder.

"Still tired?"

"No, just hungry."

"That's why I've been slow cooking this meat I got from a Apcynoth I killed for some rations. I also seasoned it with some herbs and spices I collected." I handed her a plate with a big steak on it.

She took the plate, smiled and began to eat.

"You know, you look a lot cuter with your hair down like that."

She blushed and mumbled something.

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, it's not very feminine." I laughed and she punched me on the shoulder.

Keira finished eating and we sat there talking for a while.

"You know I hear that Dragoon has a fan girl following him around, he says shes not a girlfriend but I think he just doesn't want to lose that dark and brooding appearance."

"Ha ha, yea I think he's quite nice and soft on the inside. But I guess when you live the life of a hunter you develop a harder outer appearance."

"You trying to say I'm dark and brooding?" Phoenix put on his helmet and made a deep growling noise.

She giggled and reached for his helmet and slowly took it off. She slowly moved her head towards Phoenix and kissed him on the lips for a second.

"What was that for?"

"Thanks, for saving me from the Diablos and sorry for leaving."

I smiled and put my arm around her shoulders. "So, what do you want to do now?"

She pushed my arm off. "What kind of girl do you think I am?!"

"No! I meant, what do you want to do like hunt, rest, head back to a outpost."

She layed her head on my shoulder. "I think I need a break for a bit, then we can try to track down a Kirin."

"You really want Kirin armor that badly?" Phoenix laughs.

"What's wrong with Kirin armor?" Keira blushes but trying to hide it with a mildly angry face.

"Nothing, it's just the standard Kirin armor is a little.. revealing is all." Phoenix grins.

"You're such a pervert." Keira and Phoenix laugh together.

They spend a few days exchanging stories of what happened during and after the bandit attack on the outlands outpost. They eat, remove their armor and rest, trying to relax before they head out to look for a Kirin.

"You know I could really get used to a life like this, out in the wild relax, hunt for supplies and with you here I think I could forget all the worries in my life." Phoenix smiles as he lays in the bed in the tent with Keira at his side.

"We're almost out of meat, do you want to head out soon?"

"Sure, but first. I think I found the answer to that question you asked me the other day."

"Oh, what question?"

"What kind of girl do I think you are?"

"Oh, what kind of girl am I?"

"You're my girl."

"Am I now?" Keira sat up and on Phoenix's lap as he was lying down.

Phoenix stared into her eyes as she slowly lowered her head towards his face.

"What's going on in here?!" Someone shouted from the door.

Keira screams and falls to the floor grabbing the blanket to cover herself up. "What the hell?!" A girl's head was peaking into the tent.

"Rikka, what the hell did I tell you about bothering people while they're 'busy'?" Barked a voice from outside.

"Sorry, Dragoon. I couldn't help myself." The girl said looking over her shoulder.

"You never can." Dragoon growls as he enters the tent trying to locate all its occupants. "How's it going Phoenix?" He notices Keira on the floor. "Oh, so nice to see 'you' again."

"'You?' I have a name you know."

"Oh I know, I just don't care. Need a hand up?"

"Not from you." Keira held her hand up and Phoenix helped her up.

"One of the few times I've seen you without your armor on, that goes for both of you."

"Did we interrupt the afternoon ride?" Rikka giggles.

"I didn't think you were that kind of girl, Keira." Dragoon chuckles, pointedly ignoring the girl next to him.

"Kiss my ass." Keira smirks at Dragoon.

"I might bite, if you ask nicely..."

"Now, now!" Phoenix says trying to disarm the situation. "So is this your new girlfriend, Dragoon?"

Rikka jumps and latches onto Dragoon like a monkey; armor, weapon, and all. "Yes, we're deeply in love!"

"Get... off..." Dragoon glares at Rikka's face his helmet making his eyes glow a bloody red.

"Never!" Rikka sticks out her tongue.

Dragoon sighs. "Excuse me a moment." He walks out of the tent as he tries to pry Rikka off his chest.

Phoenix tosses Keira her Blango armor. "Here put it on."

"Thanks." Keira smiles.

"No problem, it's not like we were naked. We had our normal clothes on, you know."

"Shut up, she scared the hell out of me."

Keira and Phoenix put on their armor and step outside the tent. Dragoon had apparently managed to pry Rikka off and was talking to her quietly.

"What are you doing here, Dragoon? I thought you were patrolling the desert region." Phoenix says as he walks out of the tent.

"Well I was until this 'thing' started following me and ate all my rations."

"Sorry, I was hungry." Rikka places one hand behind her head and grins.

"She looks kind of young to be a hunter." Keira looks over at Rikka.

"Just so you know, I _am_ eighteen." Rikka sticks her tongue out at Keira.

"Enough of that!" Dragoon taps Rikka on her head, causing her to bite her tongue.

"Ouch, why do you keep doing that." Rikka holds one her hand over her mouth in pain and takes a swing at Dragoon with her other hand.

"Because sticking your tongue out at people is childish. If you want to be rude at least do a good job of it." Dragoon says as he dodges Rikka's clumsy swing and grabs her by the opening around the back of her neck on her armor picking her up.

"Put me down!" Rikka flails about trying to get loose.

"Not until you calm down." Dragoon continues to hold her in the air at arms length.

"Thats a nice suit of Gypceros armor, Rikka." Phoenix smiles at Rikka.

Rikka stops flailing just long enough to say. "Thanks." Then she smiles and goes back to attempting to escape Dragoon.

Keira slaps Phoenix upside the head. "Stop hitting on other women."

"Ouch, it was just a compliment." He mutters.

"It looks like you're on a short leash now, Phoenix." Dragoon grins.

Rikka laughs. "Keira has a pet. Keira has a pet!"

Dragoon taps Rikka on the top of her head with his free hand. "Think before you speak."

"Ouch! Alright already!" Rikka stops flailing about and Dragoon puts her down.

Phoenix notes that Rikka is a very short girl, she only stands about five feet two inches tall compared to Dragoon's five feet nine inches.

"Oh yeah, what are you doing here, Dragoon?" Keira asks.

"I was sent to find you, there is a Tigrex terrorizing the Popo population in the mountains." Addressing Phoenix instead of Keira, much to her annoyance. "Originally I was going to help you, but since the thief is with you, the two of you can handle it. Me and this squirt here will kill a few Kut Ku that are overpopulating this area, that alright with you guys?"

Keira smiles. "Yep, fine by me."

"Sounds good to me. We'll head back to Pokke Village, resupply and then we'll head out."

"We'll just stay at this camp and prepare to take out the Kut Ku."

As Phoenix and Keira head out, Phoenix looks back to see Rikka pull out a very long two handed katana and starts to swing it wildly about as Dragoon dodged her reckless swinging. Training he decided after a second.

Phoenix and Keira travel for about a week before the reach the village of Pokke.

"Alright Keira can you go to the store and grab some supplies while I talk to the village elder about the Tigrex problem?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Get what you need and ask for the supply list for Phoenix, they know who I am and they will have a list of the general supplies I always carry."

"Alright." Keira smiles and walks over to the store as Phoenix walks over to talk to the village elder.

Phoenix walks over to the village elder and bows.

"Ah so the Outlands Prodigy returns to the village, Pokke. Welcome back, Phoenix."

"How are you doing?" Phoenix smiles.

"Oh just fine for a old woman. I'm guessing Dragoon has spoken with you about the Tigrex problem?"

"Kind of, all he said was that there was a problem. He didn't tell me any details."

"Well you see, most Tigrex attack our Popo and take one very occasionally. There is a Tigrex that seems to be killing more than he needs to just eat. We have found many carcasses that haven't even been eaten, just killed and left to rot. We need you and Dragoon to track down this Tigrex and kill it before it ruins the Popo population here."

"Dragoon isn't with me, but I have another hunter with me that will help me in his stead." Right as Phoenix finished that sentence Keira walks over to him.

"I got our supplies, Phoenix."

The Village Elder grins. "It seems the phoenix has finally found it's mate. There must be something special about this one."

Keira blushes and grins not knowing what the elder and Phoenix were just talking about.

"Well I guess we'll start our search, Elder." Keira and Phoenix head out.

The Village Elder grins. "Good luck, Phoenix, and may you have a safe journey!"

Phoenix and Keira Head out to hunt down the Tigrex.

After a day they reach the base camp of the mountain that the Village Elder said they have been losing more Popo than usual.

"Let's rest for a day and gather our strength."

"That's up to you, Phoenix." Keira smiles.

"Hey, what's with that tone did I.." Suddenly a tremendously loud roar erupts quite close to the camp.

"No time to rest I guess." Keira smiles and looks at Phoenix.

"I hope this is a smaller one, Tigrex always make me nervous. They are just so... crazy, all the time. Grab your equipment and put on some earplugs, if this thing roars anywhere near you you'll go deaf."

Phoenix and Keira grab their equipment and head out of the campsite. After heading down the hill they see three Popo bodies mutilated but not eaten.

"I guess he wasn't hungry." Phoenix says while looking at the Popo carcasses.

"Phoenix, look!" Keira points up at the sky.

The Tigrex was gliding towards a nearby mountain.

"Let's try and follow it before it get away!" Phoenix yells already heading towards a cave entrance.

"Wait up!" Keira yells back trying to catch up to Phoenix.

Keira catches up to Phoenix after a minute and they continue to climb the mountain.

"This place isn't too bad, if you can stand the cold." Keira says as she admires the ice coated cave. The walls are coated in a thick layer of ice, that is reflecting all sorts of colors. Pillars of ice Extend from the ceiling to the floor, making it look like a great hall in a castle.

"Yea, it's quite beautiful. Let's try to pick up the pace."

Phoenix and Keira continue through the cave system, trying to make their way up to the Tigrex.

"Shh, I hear something." Phoenix quietly says as they reach a opening in the cave where some light is shining through.

They both slowly peek their heads around the side of the opening and see a Tigrex licking it's claws, trying to clean the blood and left over meat off.

Phoenix whispers to Keira. "Can't that light bowgun of yours fire Crag?"

"Yea, not very big ones, but I can fire them."

"Alright when I tell you too, fire off a shot towards it's face. But aim towards the ground."

"Why?"

"That will create a nice distraction for me to head out and try some do some preemptive strikes."

"Gotcha." Keira winks and readies her bowgun.

"Alright, shoot."

Keira shoots a crag shot towards the Tigrex's face and it falls short. It explodes sending snow and debris into its face. It rears up with its jaw open trying to figure out what happened. Phoenix charges out with his sword drawn, the Tigrex stands there confused looking all around. Phoenix lunges through the debris cloud and slashes as hard as he can at the Tigrex's right front leg, severing a hunk of it's flesh. The Tigrex flinches back in pain and jumps thirty feet to the side looking at Phoenix.

Phoenix yells. "Shoot!" Keira fires off a volley of shots from her light bowgun most deflecting off the hard scales but some penetrate and stick in it, coating its right side with metal spikes. The Tigrex looks into the direction of Keira and readies to charge at her. Phoenix runs at it before it starts to move and slashes away it's left ribs. The Tigrex falls over in pain and flails about, Phoenix runs away and Keira fires off another volley of shots. This time most of them hit his neck and face, one taking out its right eye and a few went into its mouth. The Tigrex stood up wheezing trying to roar but a shot got lodged in it's throat and nothing comes out.

Even on it's last moments of it's life the Tigrex still has a look of pure anger and hatred on its face. As it tries to roar once more Keira shoots off a crag shot and it goes down the Tigrex's throat. Soon after they see it's throat expand and a small flame and some smoke come out its mouth. The beast falls to the ground and remains motionless.

"That was easier than I expected." Keira says walking over to the Tigrex.

"The last one I took on didn't go down that easy either. It was a lot bigger than this one, this one is pretty small." As Keira and Phoenix walk towards the Tigrex it suddenly lunges its head towards Keira. Phoenix dives over and shoves her out of the way, it's jaws slam shut. The sound of it's jaws was like two pieces of steel slamming into each other, its bite barely miss Phoenix's leg. Phoenix pulls Keira back as he runs away a good thirty feet and readies his bowgun. He loads a very large caliber shot into it as he walks closer to the Tigrex's head and fires it directly into the top of it's head only a few feet away. Scales, flesh and brain matter fly every which way and the beast lays there with its jaw open blood running out of it.

"Never walk that close to a corpse without checking it first!" Phoenix says firmly to Keira as he helps her off the ground.

"I'm sorry." Keira frowns and lowers her head.

"Sorry to yell at you, its just. I don't want to lose you like that."

Keira raises her head with a smile and a few tears running down her cheek. "You won't."

Phoenix lets go of her and they gather their equipment and head back to their camp. When they arrive they send a messenger bird to the guild to come and collect the carcass. Keira and Phoenix take off their armor and lay in bed, relaxing after a short but intense hunt.

"I don't think we should quit, this is too much fun." Keira says to Phoenix as she lay next to him.

"Fun, you almost got killed by a 'dead' Tigrex today and that's what you call fun?" Phoenix laughs.

"Yea, hunting is a lot better than having a normal job like being a maid."

"That's true, I don't know what I would do if I wasn't a hunter. You lead such a interesting life hunting down things that can kill you at a moments notice." Phoenix and Keira laugh.

After a few hours they both drift to sleep and wake up the next day.

"That was fast." Keira looks up as she lays next to Phoenix, there is a messenger bird perched on a post outside their tent.

Phoenix and Keira get up and walk outside, Phoenix removes the message from the birds leg.

"What does it say, Phoenix?" Keira asks.

"It says they want us back immediately to respond to a new species that is terrorizing the Great Forest."

"Well, let's get back then." Keira smiles.

They both put their armor back on, gather the rest of their equipment and head back to the village Pokke.


	8. Shadows Looming

Phoenix and Keira return to the village, Pokke.

"Welcome back, Phoenix." The village chief says as Phoenix and Keira walk into the village. "We received the Tigrex corpse. Erald is already working on a a pair of armors for you and your new 'friend'."

"I didn't ask him to make anything."

"Oh he said he felt bad about the Kirin incident. So he is making this armor free of charge."

Keira smiles, wrapping her arms around Phoenix's arm. "Oh new armor."

"I guess I need something new after all this time. This armor is getting a bit ragged." Phoenix gives his armor a quick look over and notices a lot of dents and cuts in his armor.

"We'll have matching armor, this is gonna be fun." Keira started to giggle.

"You're in a strangely happy mood." Phoenix cocked an eyebrow as he watched Keira.

"I also get a new bowgun as well, you promised."

"Oh yea, we'll have to take a few days break and have Erald modify my gun. I wonder if I can get him to make a new weapon for me as well. Why don't you get us a room at the Inn and order up some food, Keira?"

"Sure thing. See ya in a while, Phoenix." Keira said as she began to walk towards the Inn.

Phoenix headed over to the local blacksmith shop.

"Phoenix, welcome back! I'm making you a new set of armor!"

"Yea, the village chief told me about it. Feeling a little guilty about that last armor I wanted you to make?"

"Well.. yea." Erald grinned sheepishly and laughed after a second.

"When you get a little break on making that new order I want you too make me a new weapon. I also want you to modify my old bowgun for Keira to use, last time she tried to fire it she broke her arm."

"Ouch! Well I guess I could replace that old stock with a nice new spring dampened one. How does that sound? Now, what about this new weapon you wanted?"

"Well, I was thinking since I have Keira to cover me with ranged fire I was going to upgrade to a Lance."

"Oh, a lance eh? Not too far fetched from what you're using now. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Do you have enough materials left over from that Tigrex to make a matching lance?"

"Yea, I bet I have enough left over. We got a nice shipment of new ore too. Nice strong stuff called, Eltalite. I'm try working it into your armor and I'll put some into your lance as well."

"Thanks! How long will these orders take?"

"Just a few days is all, I'll try to work a little faster."

"Just don't mess this up." Phoenix chuckled as he left the blacksmith's shop.

Erald yelled back. "Not this time, Phoenix. Not this time!"

As Phoenix walked into the inn Keira stopped him. "Shh, you're gonna love this."

Keira and Phoenix walked into the door way and over at one of the tables Dragoon was sitting there eating. Next to him was Rikka, passed out laying down on the bench.

"How's it going, Dragoon?" Phoenix said as he walked up behind him.

Dragoon flinched a slightly. "Oh hey, Phoenix. I finally found a way to get Rikka to stop talking. She only had half a glass of ale and she fell asleep." Dragoon chuckles.

"Has she ever had alcohol before?' Keira said as she sat across from the now passed out Rikka.

"If she has, she is a horrible drinker." Phoenix said as he sat down next to Keira.

"So I heard you guys didn't have much trouble with that Tigrex."

"Nope, it was rather dull really."

"That's quite the statement coming from the one who almost got her leg bit off by a 'dead' Tigrex." Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't check it before you got close to it did you?" Dragoon laughs mockingly.

"Hey most monsters I've taken down stay dead when you kill them, I never hunted something so angry as that Tigrex before."

"Yea, I've heard they are quite agressive at times." Dragoon stopped laughing to continue eating his meal.

A guild maid walked over and placed her hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "Can I get you anything tonight?"

"I'll just take an ale thank you."

Keira glared over at Phoenix.

"Oh and she'll have one as well."

The guild maid took her hand off Phoenix's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Phoenix just smiled over at Keira, who was still giving him a cold glare.

As the maid started to walk away Rikka suddenly sat up and took a punch at thin air. "You're gonna get it this time you darn Kut Ku!" She fell to the floor and passed out again.

"I'm guessing she had a bad instance with those Kut Ku you had to hunt down?" Keira said looking at Rikka, who was on the floor grumbling loudly.

Dragoon stopped eating for a second. "Yea, she got her butt kicked by the one I let her tackle alone. She got pretty ticked off at it, made a lot of mistakes, you know noobie stuff. Luckily that Gypceros armor is very rubbery and she didn't get hurt. Every attack it threw at her sent her bouncing around, quite funny actually." Everyone laughed.

"Did you hear about that new assignment that the guild wants me to go on, Dragoon?"

"Yea, I heard something about a new creature being sighted in the great forest. You want me to come along?"

"Yea, but I think Rikka should stay out of this one. We have no idea what this thing can do."

"No worries, I'll just tell her to stay here until we get back. When are we going head out then?"

"Not for a few days yet, me and Keira are waiting on new armor and weapons. Erald is making a set of Tigrex armor with that new ore the guild found, she's getting my old bowgun and I'm getting a lance."

"You sure you want to handle Phoenix's bowgun, Keira. I mean the last time you tried to use that it your skinny little arm broke like a twig."

"Erald is going to apply a new stock to it to reduce the kick of it." Keira said rubbing her right arm. "Although I am a bit worried about using it again."

"I'll give you a few tips and we'll do a little practice shooting before we head out." Phoenix says with a grin on his face.

"So does the guild have any information on this new creature?"

"No, the research team that set out to gather information on it didn't report in so they sent another team to look for them. Out of the six that went out only two came back alive, they couldn't even find the bodies of the others. They claim that when they were looking for the creature the other four disappeared without a trace even though they never got split up. I guess it drug them off without anyone noticing it."

"Great, sounds like so much fun." Dragoon sighs.

"They told me to gather information and kill it if we can. But, don't get ourselves killed trying to take it down. I guess they don't want to lose more people just to get information on it."

"It's going be quite fun discovering a new creature though." Keira said trying to cheer the group up.

"Yea, I've never discovered a new creature. I've always stuck to hunting the normal stuff." Phoenix laughs.

One of the maids walks over. "Would you mind moving her somewhere a little safer than the floor, please."

Dragoon drank the last of his ale and stood up. "Yea, I'll take care of it." Dragoon walked over, picked Rikka up and tossed her over his shoulder nonchalantly. "I'll catch up with you guys later." Dragoon waved goodbye and walked out of the tavern.

"So what do you want to do with the rest of the night, Phoenix?" Keira said as he looked back at Phoenix.

"I think I'm gonna call it a early night and get some sleep before I train you how to use a heavy bowgun tomorrow. I think you should too."

"Oh, alright."

Keira and Phoenix walked back to the inn and went to sleep.

They awoke the next day and started to put on their armor. "So you think you're ready to use a heavy bowgun yet, Keira?"

"Yea, I think so. I mean I just held it wrong in that one hunt is all. Right?"

"Right! Well then, we'll leave your bowgun and my sword here and we'll just stop by Erald's and get my bowgun."

"Sounds good to me." Keira smiles at Phoenix.

"Is something wrong, Keira? You've been acting a little strange lately."

"No.. everything is fine, let's get going."

"Alright then." Phoenix and Keira leave the inn and walk over to the blacksmiths shop to pick up Phoenix's modified bowgun.

"Is that bowgun done yet, Erald?" Phoenix says as he walks into the shop.

"Yea, I finished it last night before I went to bed. Didn't take long since it was just a modification instead of making a new one. Let me get it for you." Erald walks into the back room of the shop and comes back out a second later. "Here's the bowgun and here's a box of rounds for her to practice with, on the house." Erald hands Keira the bowgun and the box of one hundred shells.

"You're really trying to make up for messing up, aren't you." Keira grins at Erald and walks out of the shop. "I'll meet you outside, Phoenix."

"Alright, I just need to talk a few things over with Erald."

"Okay, see you in a minute then."

"So do you have enough left overs for that lance, Erald?"

"After I looked everything over, I think I'll be a little short. How about I make you a prototype lance that the guild has been working on?"

"Prototype, I don't like prototypes. You know that Erald."

"Well they call it a prototype because it hasn't been field tested but, it has been tested thoroughly in controled conditions. It holds up just fine."

"So what is it then?"

"It's a combination of Vespoid and Hornetaur materials. It's sharp as hell, durable and secretes a paralytic toxin."

"I guess that'll be fine. How long will it take to make that along with the armor?"

"Well I have a armor already finished in the back and the lance will be done tomorrow."

"Good, we need to head out soon. I'll catch you tomorrow then, Erald."

"Right then! See you tomorrow, Phoenix." Erald went back to working on the armor as Phoenix left the shop.

"Ready to learn something new, Keira?"

"Yep, where can we practice in town?'

"Theres a field on the outskirts of the village that way we can practice at."

"Alright, lead the way."

Phoenix lead Keira to the field. It was a grassy field that was next to a river and a forest that no one goes to on the other side.

"I'll set up a few targets next to the bank of the river and you'll shoot at them, sound good?"

"Yep, first tell me how to load this goliath." Keira said as she set the box of ammo down, opened it up and grabbed a shell. "No wonder why it broke my arm, this shell is like five times higher caliber than the ones I use!"

Phoenix chuckles. "Alright, since this gun is so much stronger it can't use clips. It has to to be loaded one at a time into the breach. All you got to do is pull this back.." Phoenix grabs a small rod and pulls it back towards the stock. "That opens the breach, you just set the shell into the breach then shove it closed firmly." Phoenix shoves the tray closed and it makes a clanking sound. "Now you just aim and shoot. Let me go and set up the target first, make sure the safety is on and don't point it in my direction."

"I know that much, Phoenix."

Phoenix walks over and sets a watermelon on a tree stump and walked back behind Keira. "Ready when you are." Phoenix held up some binoculars and stared at the watermelon.

"Okay then, here it goes." Keira raised the gun up and held it firmly against her shoulder. She took aim, turned the safety off and then fired off a shot. The gun made a loud bang and the bullet hit the watermelon dead on. The fruit dissolved into a spray of pulp and juices.

"Nice shot, that was a good sixty yards off and you hit dead center!"

"Thanks. Can I keep going?" Keira smirks playfully.

"Did that hurt at all when you shot?"

"Not at all, that new stock makes it have almost no recoil."

"Alright then let me get a few wood targets set up." Phoenix walked over to a box that he requested to be sent here yesterday. He took it over to the side of the river, there was about one hundred small circular wood targets about three inches wide. Each had a thin wood spike attached to stick into the ground, they were different heights varying from one foot tall to five feet tall. He set them all up and walked back to Keira and took a seat on the ground next to her.

"Alright, I'm gonna take them out from right to left."

"Ready when you are, let's see how many you can take out. Single shots for each target." Phoenix raised his binoculars up and stared at the targets at the right side.

Keira took steady aim and shot the first one out, loaded another round and shot the second one out. She spent about thirtey minutes shooting.

"Not half bad, you shot..." He paused counting the targets left. "Out ninety five out of one hundred."

"Thanks! Wish I was able to get them all though." Keira grins at Phoenix.

"Don't worry, you'll get better the more you practice. But, for now we're out of targets and ammo." Phoenix laughs.

"Aawww.. oh well, I guess we can take a break. Get something to eat and then come back again?"

"Sure, let's get something to eat and drink."

Phoenix and Keira head over to the tavern on the way there they hear someone call out their names.

"Phoenix!"

Phoenix looks towards the entrance to the village, it was Orpheus with a woman walking beside him. "Oh hey, Orpheus! Who might that be with you?"

"Oh, I'd like you to meet Mara. We met at the tavern before I went on a hunt in the volcanic region."

Mara stood five feet nine inches tall, long strait brown hair and had blue eyes. She wore a set of normal yellow and blue Tigrex armor and had a metal lance that had a revolver looking mechanism above the handle.

Phoenix held out his hand ready to shake hands. "Hey Mara, my name is Phoenix."

Mara took a step forward holding her hand out but quicklywrapped her arms around Phoenix and raised him off the ground, hugging him. "It's nice to meet ya, Phoenix."

Phoenix tries to breathe but Mara hugs him tightly while raised off the ground. "Nice to meet you too. Look where my hands are, Keira. No touchy. See?" Phoenix says holding his arms off to the side.

Keira, Orpheus and Mara laugh. Mara sets Phoenix down and he takes a deep breath.

"Well I guess after our new equipment gets done we can head out for that new monster. I think they would let you come along with us Mara."

Phoenix and the others spend a few hours at the tavern talking then head back to the inn and get some sleep.

Phoenix wakes up before Keira and heads over to Eralds shop.

"Mornin' Phoenix!" Erald barks loudly.

"Little early to be that loud isn't it, Erald?" Phoenix says as he puts a finger in one of his ears trying to message it.

"I'm glad to to say your new armor is done." Erald grins widely as he pulls a sheet off two stands with Keira and Phoenix's new armor.

Threre stood two armor sets that were quite similar in design but were mildly adjusted for gender differnces. Each armor was a slightly pale red with blue stirpes, the shoulders were shaped like Tigrex claws and the rest of the armor had nice angles that swept backwards that almost made the armor look like it was moving forward.

"The armor is beautiful, Erald. Much better than that last heap that you tried passing off as Kirin armor." Phoenix began to laugh.

"You'll never let that go, will you?" Erald began to frown.

"Aw, don't worry Erald, this armor will definatly make up for it! Hey mind if I take these stands for a bit? I want to take them back to the inn and have them waiting for when Keira wakes up."

"Oh no problem at all, hope she loves hers! Just bring 'em back before you leave town."

Phoenix grabbed both armor sets and walked back to the inn. He entered the room very quietly, but as he set the armor sets down and closed the door, Keira woke up.

"Morning, Keira." Phoenix said standing between the two armor sets.

"Oh, Phoenix!" Keira said as she sat up and got out of bed. She held her stomach as she got up and winced a little. "I want to try it on"

"Sure..." Phoenix said as he noticed Keira was in mild pain.

Keira removed the armor from the stand and put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror and turned around. "Oh my!" She blushed as she noticed her butt cheeks were slightly exposed with the stinger like piece of armor coming off the back of her armor.

Phoenix laughs. "Well you might have to find some pants or something to wear under those."

"I don't know, I kinda like it." Keira said as she turned her back to the mirror and hopped around a bit.

"You just have to torture me, don't you?" Phoenix grins.

Keira began to laugh then she stopped and fell to her knees grabbing her stomach.

"Keira! Are you alright?!" Phoenix said as he held her arm so she wouldn't fall down.

"I don't know. My stomach has been a bit upset and hurts from time to time lately."

"Let's take you to the infirmary." Phoenix help take her armor off and took her to the infirmary.

After about an hour of diagnostics the doctor came out.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Phoenix said nervously.

"She's going to be fine but I think she wants to tell you something herself." The doctor begins to remove his gloves and walks down the hallway as Phoenix walks into Keira's room.

Keira laid there in the bed she was awake but seemed very nervous. "Hey, Phoenix. The doctor said I'm fine but I wanted to be the one to tell you the news."

Phoenix stood next to her bed a bit tentative about what she was going to say.

"I'm pregnant."

Phoenix didn't say anything for a second.

"That..that's a good thing, right?"

"Of course it is! It means I won't be able to hunt with you for a long time, but yes it is a good thing."

Phoenix leaned over and hugged her. Keira smiled.

Rikka slammed the closed door open. "We heard something happened!"

"Rikka!" Dragoon bopped her on the top of her head. "What did I say about barging in on people."

"Ow ow ow. Sorry, Dragoon."

"So, whats did you do to yourself this time Keira? Break you leg this time?" Dragoon chuckled.

"Well I don't know if she..." Before Phoenix could finish.

"I'm pregnant, you ass." Keira glared at Dragoon.

"Oh...is that all? Let's go Rikka." Dragoon grabbed Rikka by the rim of her armor and dragged her out the door, closing it on the way out.

"What do you mean, 'is that all'?! You jerk!"

Phoenix started to laugh, he noticed Keira was now glaring at him and he stopped.

"I'm sorry that I can't help you this time." She looked down, disappointed.

"Hey we'll be fine, you just take care of yourself. We'd better head out before someone else gets killed by that new monster." Phoenix tapped her chin and began to walk out.

"I love you." Keira whispered.

Phoenix walked back to the inn and collected his gear and then met the others at the center of town.

"You guys ready to do this?" Phoenix said adjusting his gauntlet.

Dragoon sheathed the massive diablos sword onto his back. "As always."

Mara slammed her fist into her palm. "Let's find this thing and take it out."

Orpheus swirled his swords around a bit then sheathed them onto his back. "We'd better find this thing before it hurts someone else."

"My thoughts exactly." Phoenix raised his new helm up and put it onto his head. "Let's head out!"

Phoenix and his party head out of the village to hunt down this new monster. They leave Keira and Rikka in town and head towards the Great Forest.


	9. Fables of a Fallen Clan

Birds chirp, the trees sway in the wind and the sounds of a large creature's roar silenced the forest.

"Did you guys here that?" Phoenix raises his shield.

"Of course I did, how could you not hear something like that?" Dragoon reaches for the handle of his sword.

"I swear the thing is taunting us."

"It's probably looking for us as we're looking for it, Mara." Phoenix looks around the forest floor and the canopy for the new creature.

"We've been out here for months Phoenix, I don't know if this thing is even real." Orpheus stops for a second and rubs his stomach.

"We ate just a few hours ago, how can you be hungry already, Orpheus?"

"We're not all as manly as you Dragoon, some of us need to eat." Orpheus and Mara laugh together.

"Ya know even if I didn't know you guys were a couple, it would be a little too easy to tell." Dragoon smirks.

Mara raises her hand as though were going to slap Dragoon.

"Guys were hunting monsters not each other." Phoenix grabs Mara's arm.

"Uh guys, is it just me or is there a giant pink monkey staring at us?"

"What?" Phoenix looks over at...

A ten foot tall pink monkey eating a mushroom with it's tail.

Everyone stares at it for a second as it stares back at the party. It stops chewing with the mushroom still in its mouth.

"Uh, what should we do?" Dragoon looks back at the rest of the group.

"Dragoon look out!" Phoenix unsheathes his lance and raises his shield.

As Dragoon looks back he see the monkey is right in front of him but with his butt just a foot from his face.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Before Dragoon could finish the monkey shook a bit and then farted so hard it blew Dragoon twenty feet backwards into a tree.

"Oh my, that smells horrible Dragoon." Mara says as she covers her face with her hand.

"It's getting away!" Orpheus says pointing at the monkey that is now running on all fours away from the party.

"Go get it Orpheus, Mara you go with him!" Phoenix yells as he runs over to Dragoon.

"You got it!" Mara gives a thumbs up as she runs to catch up to Orpheus.

"Are you alright Dragoon?" Phoenix says as he looks at Dragoon as he is getting up from the ground.

"I.. hate.. monkeys." Dragoon grunts as he tries to shake off the smell of the fart.

"I think that's a Congalala, the guild maid warned me about them before we set out to the Great Forest. She also gave me this." Phoenix reached into his pouch and pulled out a canister and sprayed it onto Dragoon.

"This smells... girly."

"It's just some deodorant." Phoenix laughs as he hands it to Dragoon.

Now let's catch back up to Orpheus and Mara, I sent them after it while I checked up on you."

"Oh don't worry I'll smack that monkey around good for what he did." Dragoon cracks his knuckles.

Phoenix and Dragoon run a few hundred feet through the forest when they come across Mara and Orpheus, they have the Congalala backed up against a stone wall.

"Don't fight it until Phoenix and Dragoon get here, Mara."

"What it's just a monkey, what can it do?" When Mara looked back at the Congalala just as it reached it's arm over to her and poked her helm and then took a few steps backwards. "That's it, it's dead!" Mara started to charge at the Congalala with her Gun lance. The Congalala stood up on its hind legs, placed it's hands on its hips and expanded his stomach outward. "Yea, you think you're so bad?" Mara yelled as she thrust her gun lance into it's stomach, her lance hit it but immediately bounced off.

Orpheus laughed as she stumbled back a few feet. "Oh man, that was hilarious."

"Shut up and help me!"

A bullet suddenly hit the Congalala in the shoulder and it rolled over in pain.

"You damn monkey, I got you this time." Dragoon yelled as he ran in from the bushes to the side raising his greatsword into the air. Right as he went to land a blow the monkey turned over and let out another very powerful fart, it sent Dragoon flying into tree.

Phoenix holstered his bowgun and unsheathed his new lance and charged right at the Congalala. The Congalala stood up and charged at Phoenix, it tried to punch Phoenix but he blocked it with his shield as he thrust his lance into it's right thigh. The Congalala's leg collapsed and began to spasm uncontrollably. In a fit of rage and fear the Congalala slammed his fist into Phoenix's shield and sent him skidding backwards.

"Wow, I can't believe how fast that toxin works." Phoenix said as he came to a stop and looked at his new lance.

The Congalala pounded his clenched fist into his thigh a few times until the spasm stopped. It stood up and looked at Mara who was charging at him again, he once again stood on his hind legs and expanded his stomach.

"Not this time." Mara's gunlance started to emit fire from the front of it. She thrust it at the Congalala's stomach but stopped just before hitting it. The Congalala looked down at it right as a loud bang sounded and the Congalala was engulfed in flame. Mara went skidding backwards and the Congalala came flying out of the cloud of flame and rolled across the ground partially on fire and screaming.

"That's it you damn monkey!" Dragoon ran at it and slammed his sword onto the Congalala's back. There was a loud snap and the Congalala stopped moving.

"Wow that thing was crazy." Orpheus said wiping his brow.

"Jump in and help anytime, Orpheus!" Mara yelled.

"It's okay. Nice work guys." Phoenix said walking over sheathing his lance onto his back.

"That's definitely not the monster we're looking for, it was just a Congalala." Dragoon said pulling his greatsword out of the corpse, it's eyes wide open and mouth open as though it were still in pain.

"That was pretty messed up, Dragoon." Mara said looking at the now dead Congalala.

"This is hunting, not some kid's story book Mara get used to it." He sheathed his greatsword and walked away.

"Alright, so is everyone okay?"

"Yeah we're okay, Phoenix." Mara said sheathing her gunlance. "That's one deadly lance you got there, never seen anything like that before."

"Yea it's a prototype they're having me field test. Let's head towards the a nearby lake for some water."

The party headed towards a large lake marked on their map. When they arrived everything seemed calm.

"Alright guys get some water and take a break for a while."

Orpheus and Mara took they're chest armor and helms off to rest, but Phoenix and Dragoon left their chest plates on. Orpheus and Mara sat at the beach talking to each other while Phoenix and Dragoon talked.

"They seem like they get along well. What do you think Dragoon?"

"Eh, if it works, good for them. I'm good the way I am. By the way, are you worried about leaving Keira back there?"

"She'll be fine, she's in good care at that hospital. Hey, Dragoon."

"Yea?"

"What do you thinks in that cove over there?" Dragoon and Phoenix looked across the lake at a rock formation that have a sunken cave entrance.

"I don't know but have you noticed there aren't any fish in this lake?" Dragoon says in a brooding manner.

"Yea, I was getting the same feeling. I don't think we should linger around here for too long." Phoenix picked up his helm and walked closer to Orpheus and Mara. "Hey guys, get suited back up we're heading out!"

"Sure thing, Phoenix!" Orpheus yelled back.

Right as Mara and Orpheus got their armor back on they heard a loud roar coming from the direction of the forest, followed by screaming.

"Let's get going guys, we'd better check that out!" Phoenix called over to Mara and Orpheus.

They ran into the forest for a few hundred feet when they saw a guild scout running towards them.

"I found it! I found the.." Right before he could make it to the party a very large black catlike monster pounced past the guild scout and blocked his escape. It made no sound as it's tail went flying by the the location where the guild scout was at just behind it. All they saw was a large red splash. It roared then began to charge at the party.

"Phoenix, what do we do?" Mara yelled.

Phoenix reached for his bowgun and aimed right at the creature, he fired off a shot and before the bullet could hit the monster it jumped over it and into the canopy.

"What the hell is this thing? It can dodge a shot from a bowgun!" Dragoon said as he unsheathed his weapon. The others did the same and formed around Phoenix.

"I have no clue, it has a pseudo-wyvern build like Tigrex, but that thing is way smarter and faster."

"Do you think it's gone?" Orpheus said with a very worried look on his face.

"I would say 'don't worry' Orpheus but I think right now.. we might be out of our league"

The party moved slowly in formation towards the guild scouts remains, he was torn in half.

"What kind of thing has a tail that can do something like this?"

"I have no idea. Phoenix, we need to be very careful." Dragoon said with a worried look on his face.

"Mara, are you okay?" Phoenix said as he looked over at her, she was almost in tears.

"I just never seen someone die so easily. It killed him with no thought and no hesitation."

"That's why we have to hunt it down, something like this shouldn't be in this world." Phoenix said with a angry look on his face.

The party began to search area nearby and found no signs of it's movements.

"This thing must use the trees to get around. There's no disturbances on the ground."

"Then how do we know when it's going to attack?" Mara said with a scared face.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll.." Phoenix suddenly went flying forwards.

Everyone looked back and it was right there getting ready to strike Orpheus next with it's claws.

"Back off!" Dragoon grabbed his sword and swung it at the monster's claw. They clashed and Dragoon began to push it back as it stumbled with it's claw stuck on his greatsword. "Get him now, Orpheus!"

Orpheus unsheathed his weapons and in a fit of rage, charged at the monsters side. He began to slash wildly at it, but the monster put up his other arm and unfolded metal like blades. Orpheus weapons collided with it and made sparks that flew everywhere.

"I can't do anything!" Orpheus said falling back, his weapons were all chipped up and the bladed wings didn't have a scratch on them. The monster roared and then spun sideways flinging Dragoon away.

Mara ran over to see if Phoenix was okay.

"Phoenix!"

He stood up breathing heavy. "What hit me?"

"It's back!"

Phoenix looked back at Orpheus trying to fend it off on his own rolling away from it's tail swings and swipes from it's claws. Phoenix unsheathed his lance and charged in after it. "Fall back Orpheus, this thing is mine!"

Orpheus dove out of the way as Phoenix charged in at it. It lunged at Phoenix with it's claw but he side stepped the blow and slammed his shield into it's face stunning it. He thrust his lance into it's right arm and it began to spasm and fell to the ground. As he went for a killing blow with his lance he looked up and the creature's tail rose up and came strait at him. He stopped and put his shield up to block it, the stinger at the end of the tail impaled in his shield and came within an inch of his face. Phoenix took his shield off his arm and grabbed his lance in two hands. He pulled a switch and barb like claws protruded from his lance in a row. He slammed it on top of the creatures neck and pulled back in a saw like motion and tore away a lot of flesh. The monster screamed in agony and jumped back.

"Hit him now, Mara!"

Mara ran in with her gunlance drawn and slammed the tip of her gunlance into it's ribs and fired off six shots into it.

The monster swiped at her shield sending her skidding backwards. It was wheezing heavily but still was able to move very sluggishly. Dragoon emerged from throw earlier and came right at it with murderous intent. "You still want to fight?" The creature lunged at him with his claws, he slammed his sword onto it's arm and crushed it. As it tried to bite at Dragoon he raised his sword up and slammed it onto the things skull. There was multiple cracking sounds and the creature roared very loudly.

"Just die!" Phoenix ran at it and impaled his lance into it's chest. It began to spasm violently, thrashing about everywhere. After a second it roared one last time tried to jump back into the canopy but it's broken limb collapsed as it tried to grab the branches and it fell back to the ground.

Phoenix walked over to it and tried to pull his lance out but it was lodged into it's chest. "Screw it, let's send a message to the guild to come collect this damn thing." He sent out a messenger bird and they waited for a team to come help them.

A few days later a team of twenty guards and a science team of ten showed up. They arrived to a makeshift camp next to the corpse.

"Phoenix?" The science team leader yelled.

Phoenix emerged from one of the tents. "Yea, I'm here."

"You finally were able to track down the beast and slay it?"

"Yea it's right over there." Phoenix pointed to the corpse.

As the science team got to it they were speechless. Most of them looked at the corpse and saw the mangled and broken body.

"It took all that to kill it?"

"You have no idea. My lance is lodged in it's chest, I can't get it out. My shield is also stuck on it's tail."

Once of the guards looked over at Phoenix. Phoenix looked back at him. "Got something to say?"

"Yes, Sir Phoenix. I don't see how any man could slay a beast like that."

"No man can slay something like that, but four can. You need people at your side if you want to live in this career."

The guard placed his clenched fist on his chest then saluted Phoenix. Phoenix saluted him back.

"Now if we could get on our way back to the village?" Phoenix said looking at the science team leader.

"Certainly, Sir. It has been almost nine months since you have been back to civilization hasn't it?"

"Yea, there's something I need to get back to check on."

"Ah yes, I have a message to deliver to you. I was told to say she is doing fine and everything is going well."

"Ah, so the guild representative told you huh?"

"Not the details Sir, just the message. Also he told me that Guild Master Raiden will be waiting for you when you get back."

"The Guild Master wants to see me?" Phoenix replied with a curious look on his face.

"Yes, so you should hurry back with some haste, Sir."

"Will do." Phoenix went back into the tent and got what was left of his gear and headed back to the village with the rest of his party and ten of the twenty guards for an escort.

After a week of travel they made it back to the village. As they entered the village they were greeted by Guild Master Raiden.

"Phoenix, good hunting. I heard this one was a hellish battle." Guild Master Raiden stood six feet tall wearing a black and gold wardrobe of guild knight clothing. He had long white hair and a large scar over his left eye.

"Hello, Sir. Hey I'll meet you guys later at the tavern."

"Later Phoenix." Dragoon said as he walked by Raiden.

"You wanted to see my about something, Sir?"

"Yes, well I've heard about your recent achievements and I would like to ask you if you would to join the Grayburg Dragon Riders?"

"The Dragon Riders?"

"It's a prestigious clan, very few members that, as the name states, ride dragons."

"I uh.."

"You don't have to decide right away, I know you have something to see too first. But please get back to me before sunset today."

"Yes, Sir." Phoenix saluted Raiden and went off to the hospital to check on Keira.

When Phoenix got the the hospital a nurse was waiting in front of Keira's door.

"Are you Phoenix?" The nurse asked preventing him from going into her room.

"Yes, why can't I go in?"

"She currently delivering the baby, we don't want anyone in there until the procedures done." The nurse smiled.

"I guess I'll just wait here then?"

"Yes, please do."

After about an hour the doctor came out. "You're Phoenix right?"

"Yes, is everything alright?"

"Yes yes, it's a healthy baby girl." The doctor smiled and patted Phoenix on his shoulder and walked down the hallway.

"Thanks Doc."

"The rest is up to you, good luck." The doctor laughed and waved as he walked down the hallway.

Phoenix walked into the room and Keira was laying there holding their baby girl. "Hey I'm back."

"What took you so long? You almost missed this!"

"Well I.."

"Oh just shut up and get over here and see your daughter." Keira smiled.

Phoenix walked over and looked down at her. "She's so beautiful, she looks just like you."

"Of course she does." Keira laughed. "Ya know I heard how tough of a hunt that thing was for you, sorry I wasn't there to help."

"Oh I don't know if you would have wanted to be there, it almost got me before we even realized it was right on top of us and it flung Dragoon around like he was a little kid." They both laugh.

"I wish I was there to see that oaf get his ass handed to him." Keira smiled.

They spend a few hours talking to each other.

"Oh by the way, Keira. Guild Master Raiden asked me to join some sort of elite clan of people called the Grayburg Dragon Riders. I wanted to run it by you to see if I should join them or not."

"It sounds like fun, if it's what you want to do go for it. Just don't get yourself killed before you raise your daughter."

"Okay, I got to go and tell him yes. He said I have to tell him before sunset. I'll come by later to check up on you."

"Love ya!" Keira smiles as Phoenix leaves the room.

"I love you too."

Phoenix runs over to the guild office to see Raiden.

"I'm here to see Raiden." Phoenix says as he runs into the office.

"Oh just in time he just got back from a conference with the guild representative. They should be in his office, go on in."

Phoenix knocks on the door before entering. "May I come in, Sir?"

"Yes, come on in Phoenix."

"Could I ask you to leave for a minute?"

"Yes, Guild Master." The guild representative left the room and shut the door behind him.

"So, what's your answer Phoenix?"

"Yes, Sir. I'll join. I just have one question."

"Go on."

"How many members are in this clan at this time?"

"Just one." Raiden said holding up a finger.

Phoenix got a confused look on his face. "What do you mean one, Sir."

"The last time Fatalis attacked the volcanic outpost we lost six of the seven members."

"I see, well when do I start my training?"

"Tonight. I'll take you to see your partner." Raiden smirked.

"Uh, partner Sir?"

"You'll see, go get some food and see to your friends. Then we'll begin."

"Yes, Sir." Phoenix saluted Raiden.

Phoenix headed over to the tavern to see his friends.

"Hey guys." Phoenix sat down at the table.

"Hey, hows Keira doing?" Orpheus asked.

"Oh she's fine."

"So what's the little devil that she gave birth too?"

"Well, it's a girl and I we haven't picked a name yet."

"Pick one soon or Dragoon will end up naming her." Rikka laughed.

"Shut up and have another beer." Dragoon slapped the back of her head.

"Yes, Sir!" Rikka began guzzling down a pint of beer.

"So got any names in mind, Phoenix?"

"I got a few in mind, Mara. Since it's a girl I was thinking Seline."

"Oh Seline, I like it." Mara smiles.

"Well I got to get going."

"What's the rush? Not going to have an ale first?"

"Nah, not tonight I got some sort of training ritual thing with Master Raiden."

"Training?" Dragoon smirked.

"Yea, I've been recruited to join the Grayburg Dragon Riders."

"The who?" Dragoon chuckles.

"I guess it was a clan of seven members that took on Fatalis last time he attacked."

"Oh, those guys. I don't think they were right in the head trying to tame beasts. Monsters are better off dead not as a horse." Dragoon grunts.

"Well anyways, I got to get going. Catch you guys later."

"Later, Phoenix." Mara and Orpheus wave goodbye as Phoenix elft the tavern.

Phoenix headed over to the training grounds. When he arrived there were torches encircling a chest that Raiden was standing next to. The arena was quiet and completely deserted, except for Raiden.

"Welcome, Phoenix. It is time for you to see your partner."

Phoenix didn't speak he just walked over to the chest and opened it up. There was large dragon egg inside, it had runic rings wrote all over it and at the top it had a circle.

"All you need do is cut your hands with this blade and press your palm onto the top of the egg where the circle is at." Raiden handed him a dirk like knife with red runes along the blade, just like the egg. Phoenix followed his instructions and cut the palm of his hand and placed it onto the egg. The chest began to shake then suddenly caught on fire, Phoenix stepped back as the chest burned into dust and the egg fell to the ground and the egg began to hatch. Phoenix stared at the egg with great anticipation, it shattered and a small blue and yellow wyvern uncurled letting out a small yelp and walked over to Phoenix. Phoenix petted his head and it laid down on his feet.

"You're a lucky one, Phoenix. This breed is ferocious, hard to tame but this one seems to have taken a liking to you." Raiden smiled.

"Heh, they're kinda cute when their not trying to kill ya. Kinda like a dog."

"No! This is no pet nor will you treat him as one. He is your brother, he will stand next to you no matter what your foe and guard you with his life and he expects the same!"

"Sorry. So how do you train something like this?"

"Well actually the funny thing is there isn't much training needed. He will innately listen to you because of the ritual you performed. You just need to treat him well and he will do the same. Although you do need to think of a name for him."

"A name, how about... Fenrir." The baby Tigrex yelped and began to drool on his boots with his tongue hanging out.

"Take good care of him, Phoenix. I'll leave him in your care."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the guild headquarters, there's matters I need to attend to now that you're one of us. Oh by the way, this is yours." Raiden handed Phoenix a very ornate looking black and gold cowl. "Wear it at all times." Raiden left the training grounds.

"I guess I'll take you back to the hospital and show you to, Keira. What do you think of that?"

Fenrir yelped and smiled to the best of his ability up at Phoenix.

As Phoenix walked out of the training grounds everyone stared at the Tigrex following him.

A guard came over with a very nervous look on his face. "Uh Sir, whats the meaning of that... thing following you?"

"It's my partner." Phoenix grinned and kept walking, Fenrir close behind him.

"Oh your back, Phoenix how did the..."

"I'd like you to meet Fenrir."

Keira eyes got very wide and stared at Fenrir.

Fenrir smiled back and started to drool with his tongue hanging out.

"He's so cute!"

Fenrir walked over and stood on his hind legs and tried to lick Keira's face.

"I thought you would have freaked out after what the last one tried to do to you."

"I was going to at first, but after I saw him smile at me.." Keira petted Fenrir's head and he sat down next to the bed and fell asleep.

"I guess I just treat him like a brother, Raiden said and he'll do the same."

"Well you're going to have a lot to do for a while." Keira smiled at Phoenix.

"That's an understatement."

Phoenix and Keira laugh and they spend the night talking about what the future holds.


End file.
